Hounslow Council Cabinet presented their Violence Against Women and Girls Plan during the cabinet meeting on 13th December. 

The report and plan on violence against women and girls was presented during the cabinet meeting by Councillor Ajmer Greewal, Lead Member for Safety, and the plan was seconded by Councillor Sue Sampson, Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness. 

The plan recommended that the Violence Against Women and Girls Plan 2023-2026 was accepted, and Council Leader Shantanu Rajawat is nominated as White Ribbon Ambassador, as the most senior male in local authority. 

The plan looked to address the following over the next three years:  

• All victims should be able to access services which are tailored to their needs, and they are listened to, respected, and valued 
• For Hounslow to become a safe place for women and girls, through the education and empowerment of young people 
• Take action against perpetrators and ensure they are held accountable for their actions 

The report used the latest date from the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime Domestic Sexual Violence Dashboard, and the figures from September 2021 to August 2022 found that there were 3,717 domestic abuse offences recorded by Hounslow Police, 8th across London boroughs over that time period. 

There has also been an increase in referrals to the Council's Domestic and Sexual Violence Outreach Service since the pandemic began, with 3,593 victims from January 2020 to August 2022, although those numbers have trended downwards since they peaked in July 2021. 

The Violence Against Women and Girls Plan looks to help victims by shifting the burden away from them, focusing on four principles: 

• The individual learning what respect is and what a health relationship looks like 
• Family and peers acting as positive role models and demonstrating positive behaviour 
• Different organisations working in concert to ensure women and girls feel safe 
• The creation of laws and policies to protect women and girls 

If you want to read the full report, it can be found here.