Residents are being asked to continue the conversation with Ealing Council and have their say on further plans to reduce male violence against women and girls (MVAWG).
As part of the council’s continued mission to tackle inequality and crime, a new strategy to address MVAWG was introduced earlier this year. The plan was informed by a previous listening exercise held in January 2022, which provided a platform for women and girls to tell the council what they thought about enhancing women’s safety in Ealing.
Violence against women and girls includes harassment, stalking, rape, sexual assault, murder, honour-based abuse, domestic abuse, and coercive control. While men and boys also suffer from many of these forms of abuse, they disproportionately affect women.
From installing brighter streetlighting and upgrading CCTV cameras to delivering comprehensive MVAWG education programmes for young people and frontline staff across the borough, the council is working to make Ealing a safer place for women.
Ealing Council now wants to know what residents think should be done next to address MVAWG and how it could deliver a community-based, coordinated approach. You can take part in the survey until Monday 15 January 2024.
Meet the team
You can find out more about the survey and much more during the Safer Ealing Partnership’s community engagement day on Saturday 9 December.
The event – part of an international annual campaign called 16 Days Of Activism focused on ending violence against women and girls – aims to bring the community together, understand the issues women are facing, and raise awareness of the support that is available in Ealing.
The free event will be hosted by specialist service providers including Southall Black Sisters, Refuge, and Housing For Women, offering residents the chance to talk to experts in areas like domestic abuse, FGM, and honour-based abuse, among others. The police and the council’s safer communities team will also be on hand to answer any questions and listen to residents about their lived experience and what they think should happen next.
The engagement day will be a safe space open to all women and girls. All council employees, volunteers, and facilitators at the event are DBS cleared, which means that they will have undergone criminal records checks.
Children are welcome to come along with their parents/guardians. There will be childcare and arts and crafts activities for children, including a competition with prizes. There will also be free supplies of essential items like period pads and food, and refreshments.
The event is set to take place in the atrium of the council offices at Perceval House in Ealing from 11am-3.30pm. There is no need to book – you can come along at any time.
‘Help us understand where issues remain’
Councillor Jasbir Anand is Ealing Council’s lead member for tackling inequality. She said: “Acts of violence and harassment, even when they may seem small, cause immeasurable damage to their victims, and to society more widely – making everyone less safe.
“We’re proud of the progress that has been made on this issue by the council in recent years. This new listening exercise will help us understand where concerns remain and how we can address them so women and girls can feel safe in our community.”
Visit the Safer Ealing Partnership’s website to find practical advice on staying safe and where to get help.
Always call 999 in an emergency situation.
