Council Promises Action After Women's Safety Survey Published
More than three thousand take part in Ealing Borough consultation
Women and girls in Ealing are concerned about their safety at night time
|
Ealing Council says that over 3,000 people have taken part in its recent consultation about the safety of women and girls in the borough
Following a spate of violent crime against women in London including Sarah Everard, Bibaa Henry, Nicole Smallman, Sabina Nessa, Zara Aleena and many others , there has been widespread discussion about the safety of women and girls in public spaces. In the UK findings show that 97% of women aged 18-24 have reported experiencing harassment in public.
In response to this the Safer Ealing Partnership (SEP) ran a public listening exercise to hear the views of women and girls over the age of 13 who live, work and travel in the Borough of Ealing.
The consultation included a survey, focus groups and an interactive map where they could pinpoint specific areas where they have experienced harassment or felt unsafe. Focus groups were held in partnership with support organisations including: Southall Black Sisters, Eastern European Services and Bollo Brook Youth Centre.
The survey found that 57% of respondents had experienced inappropriate behaviour, comments or harassment in the borough. Of these, only 14% had reported incidents. 60% of participants suggested that clean and well-maintained areas with CCTV cameras and police presence would improve their safety and 93% of people reported that better lighting would contribute to safer public spaces – in three specific locations.
Throughout the consultation it was discovered 90% of respondents were unaware of support organisations in the area. There was also little awareness of safety campaigns such as Ask for Angela and Street Safe, or safety features embedded in smart phones. Participants raised issues around the role workplaces and organisations can play in changing attitudes and raising awareness in relation to these schemes.
From listening to the concerns of women and girls across the borough, the SEP has developed an action plan to tackle these unacceptable behaviours and attitudes towards women and the council has committed £355,294 to implement, through improved street lighting, increased CCTV cameras, accessible reporting and an expansive education programme.
Key provisions in the action plan include:
• Education: Ealing will be running workshops and educational programs with key community groups and secondary schools focused on identifying and challenging unacceptable behaviours
• Communication: The SEP will create a dedicated Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) website that provides links to support organisations and resources, as well as information on reporting
• CCTV: The SEP will be installing and upgrading CCTV cameras in the borough, along with clear signage and a QR codes linking residents to the VAWG website
• Street lighting: The Council will be enhancing street lighting, with a focus on darker side streets and areas of concern identified by respondents. There is also a pledged to upgrade more than 3000 streetlights in the borough to LED, which will allow for the future instalment of motion sensors
• Reporting: The police in Ealing have committed to an officer contacting all female informants and victims of open-space violence or unwanted sexual attention
• Community: The police have also pledged to run a Walk & Talk activity once a month and run community activities and events to reach out to and build confidence in communities
Councillor Aysha Raza, cabinet member for tackling inequality, extended her thanks to all the people who participated and assisted SEP in this important piece of work.
Councillor Peter Mason, Leader of Ealing Council said, “Male violence against women, and women’s safety in public spaces has rightly captured the public consciousness and demands both local and national action.
“Our listening exercise is just the first step in tackling inequality, challenging misogyny, and making Ealing a fair and inclusive place, where everyone is welcome.
“Everyone must both feel and be safe. Only through listening to residents and working with the Metropolitan Police and partner organisations can we make the necessary improvements - and come together to improve the safety of women, and everyone, in our borough.”
“Thank you to all the brave and honest women who took part in the consultation. It has been so encouraging to see the thousands of responses – and this is just the start of the conversation. Through listening to your voices, and your experiences, we are able not only to set out the challenges, but also set out real and meaningful action to improving women’s safety in Ealing.”
To find out more about the listening exercise you can read the full report on the council website.
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |
October 13, 2022
