Working together to end male violence against women and girls

The Royal Borough of Greenwich is asking for your input to help create a new Working Together to End Male Violence Against Women and Girls strategy. The strategy will outline what the council is doing to reduce male violence in the borough, making it a safer place to be. You can share your thoughts online, or at in-person and online engagement sessions. 

Councillor Rachel Taggart-Ryan, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Enforcement said: “We are committed to addressing violence in all its forms, with a dedicated focus on ending male violence against women and girls (VAWG). 

“By focusing on male accountability and cultural change, the strategy will aim to reduce all forms of male-perpetrated violence, ensuring that all victims have access to the support they need, working towards a community where everyone is safer, and feels safer. It’s important that we feed in local people’s lived experiences so we can implement real change for tackling such a serious and widespread issue.” 

Between April 2023 to April 2024, there were 780 referrals for high-risk domestic abuse cases in Greenwich, 93% of these were against women and girls. Every year 2 million women are victims of male violence in the UK (figures from National Police Chiefs Council) and in cases of domestic abuse related sexual offenses, 93% of the victims are female (data from the Office for National Statistics), emphasising the severity of the issue, not just in Greenwich, but nationally.

This strategy will outline what the council already do to combat VAWG and acknowledge all forms of male-perpetrated violence, including male-on-male violence, to emphasise the necessity of inclusive support services for all victims. This includes how we can address the underlining causes of male perpetrated violence, provide support services for all victims of violence regardless of gender, and engage men and boys as allies to challenge and change harmful gender norms and attitudes. 

Our survey and engagement sessions are open to everyone, of any gender or age, and will explore community attitudes towards ending male violence against women and girls, covering topics such as safety in public spaces, barriers and challenges and reaching underrepresented communities. 

Engagement session timetable 

We will be organising public engagement sessions if you would prefer to speak about your experiences with us, your responses can be completely confidential if you prefer. Check back here for our upcoming sessions.

Alternatively, you can have your say online – the closing date is Sunday 10 August.