Unanimous support for Rushcliffe motion to further reduce violence against women and girls
Last updated: 8/3/2024
Rushcliffe Borough Councillors have further pledged their unanimous support to reduce the occurrence of violence against women and girls in a refreshed plan to work with partners and make even further impact on the domestic issue.
At a Full Council meeting yesterday (Thursday) and in line with a re-launch of a programme by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire today, there was full cross-party support to review where the Council can support the Nottinghamshire Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy and Action Plan.
It has been developed by a range of partner organisations including all local authorities across the County and includes five pillars with the aim of reducing the cases of violence and wider support for victims of abuse.
Preventing - Embedding a zero-tolerance approach to VAWG across all activity to in still social change in perceptions of women and girls. This aims to deliver a change in social views from victim-blaming to perpetrator-blaming.
Responding - working towards reducing the levels of harm experienced by women and girls. Increasing the number of women and girls referred into support and recovery services.
Supporting - ensuring that survivors are safe and feel safe and supported so that they can lead a fulfilling life.
Including - ensuring services are culturally competent and meet the needs of women and girls from all protected characteristics. Enhancing the awareness of the needs and barriers women and girls from marginalised groups face.
Strengthening - ensuring a comprehensive joined up system of strong and suitable services from partners casting a wide net of support.
RBC’s Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Environment and Safety Cllr Rob Inglis welcomed the motion at the meeting from Cllr Steve Calvert.
He said: “This is such a vital issue, it has been a refreshing exercise engaging on a cross party recommendation that was understandably and rightly backed by all Councillors.
“I thank Cllr Calvert and his group in that we have been able to discuss and agree this motion and Cllr Richard Mallender for his pragmatic suggestion for this approach to be considered at our previous full council meeting.
“The adjournment has enabled some good conversation between ourselves and officers in determining a positive course of action.
“My thoughts are clearly documented in the previous minutes regarding Violence Against Women and Girls and to domestic violence, that we should be doing everything possible in our remit to protect our residents who could be potentially affected by this ongoing issue in our communities.
“We must acknowledge that violence is not only directed against women and girls, and not always carried out by men and that physical violence is not the only form of abuse.
“We already have a very active role with multi agency partnerships, especially with the ongoing work to achieve their Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance accreditation and with the work of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s strategy and action plan to date.
“Its relaunch and our focus now includes strengthening existing supporting strategies and policies, campaigns such as Ask for Angela and White Ribbon, community safety initiatives, housing options, securing further funding, pet fostering and future councillor training on the topic.
“We cannot be complacent and we must evolve as a Council with our support so this motion brings to a head a whole range of work that can help ever more women and girls who face or could potentially suffer violence and provide recognition and awareness of the council’s work to date.”