Councillors unite in fight to keep women and girls safe

Councillors from all parties united to fight misogyny, harassment and violence against women and girls last night (Thursday 30 October).

Following a Notice of Motion proposed by Cllr Beth Forrester and seconded by Cllr Grace Paget, Full Council unanimously agreed to:

• work towards White Ribbon accreditation – White Ribbon UK is a leading charity which works to end male violence against women and is part of the global White Ribbon movement
• encourage all male councillors and staff to take the White Ribbon pledge to never take part in, condone or stay silent about violence against women, to call out sexual objectification and encourage others to do the same
• mark White Ribbon Day on 25 November each year, the International Day for the Eradication of Violence Against Women, where men wear white ribbons to show their support for the campaign
• continue to work year-round with organisations and support campaigns for the end of violence against women and the promotion of healthy relationships
• do everything in its power to ensure women are safe

The motion said misogyny, harassment and violence towards women and girls (VAWG) is endemic across the UK.

It added: “It is a widespread and persistent problem, across all sections of society with serious consequences for those affected and the community as a whole, as it presents a barrier to safety, wellbeing and equality.

“It includes physical, emotional, and sexual violence and occurs in many forms including domestic violence, sexual assault and harassment.

“ONS figures show almost one in three women aged 16-59 will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime, that two women a week in England and Wales are killed by a current or former partner, that over half a million women are raped or sexually assaulted each year and that a YouGov poll shows that a third of girls have experienced sexual harassment in schools.

“The Trade Union Congress (TUC) reports three in five women have experienced sexual harassment, bullying or verbal abuse in the workplace and three in five have experienced three or more incidents of bullying at work.”

The council is also working towards Domestic Abuse Housing Accreditation (DAHA).

DAHA is designed to improve the response of housing providers to domestic abuse and improve outcomes for providers.

You can watch the Full Council meeting.

Published: 31 October 2025