Workshop hopes to boost work tackling violence against women and girls
An event, organised by South Yorkshire Police and the City of Doncaster Council, took place earlier this week
South Yorkshire Police and Doncaster Council say they’re 'committed' to safeguarding and preventing harm wherever possible.
It’s after they hosted a Violence Against Women and Girls workshop earlier this week - as part of their ongoing work into the issue.
They add the aim of the event was to look for gaps and areas for improvement - so they can think more creatively about what more can be done in the future.
It's all to make sure there's a co-ordinated approach to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls - and comes following the publication of a National Statement of Expectations.
Both the City of Doncaster Council and South Yorkshire Police say they acknowledge that violence and abuse happen to boys and men as well and the focus on women and girls at this event in no way dismisses or diminishes that fact.
However, this workshop was done to focus on the 'very real issues that affect girls and women' - with crime such as sexual harassment, sexual abuse and rape, domestic abuse, stalking, and spiking all disproportionally affecting women and girls.
In Doncaster, work has already happened to help to make women and girls feel safer in the city, including:
- Attracting Safer Streets funding to improve lighting and installing CCTV
- Re-designing parks with women and girls in mind
- The EPIC project to raise awareness of upskirting and the consequences with young people and encouraging young people to speak out about this abusive behaviour
- Delivering sexual harassment and abuse sessions in secondary schools
- Having a coordinated approach to preventing and tackling domestic abuse
- Having a coordinated approach to preventing and tackling domestic abuse
- The introduction of a Violence Against Women and Girls Community group
Mayor of Doncaster Ros Jones said: “The safety of all women and girls has always been a high priority for us and that is why we are committed to safeguarding and preventing harm wherever possible.
"We want to better understand the extent of threatening or intimidating experiences of women and girls in public spaces, views on accessibility to support and ways in which safety can be improved.
"Following the event, we’ll collate the ideas and feedback, and it will be used to develop a Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) delivery plan that we all contribute to over the next few years.
"It will complement other community safety and safeguarding work for all members of our communities and will help us create a city that does not tolerate violence and abuse.”
Doncaster District Commander Chief Superintendent Pete Thorp said: “Tackling violence against women and girls in all its forms is a key priority, not just for us here in Doncaster but force wide.
“We recently launched phase two of our campaign to tackle VAWG. ‘Do More’ encourages communities across Doncaster and South Yorkshire to take a stand against violence against women and girls by calling out acts of microaggressions and sexual harassment when you see it happening.
“We are proud to support this campaign and encourage people to challenge inappropriate and violent behaviour against women which has absolutely no place in our society.
“If we all do more, we can help stop violence against women and girls.”
You can find out more about the work being done to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls on the City of Doncaster Council website, and you can seek help if you, or someone you know, has been the victim of a sexual harassment or assault over on the South Yorkshire Police website.