Councillors Unite in Fight to Keep Women and Girls Safe

Strategic Insights -

Councillors from the City of Canterbury united in their fight to end misogyny, harassment, and violence against women and girls during a Full Council meeting on Thursday, October 30. The meeting resulted in a unanimous approval of a Notice of Motion, proposed by Cllr Beth Forrester and seconded by Cllr Grace Paget, which outlined several key actions to address this pressing issue. These measures include working towards White Ribbon accreditation, encouraging male councillors and staff to take the White Ribbon pledge, marking White Ribbon Day on November 25, and continuing to support campaigns for the end of violence against women and the promotion of healthy relationships.

Key Takeaways:

  • The City of Canterbury Council has committed to work towards White Ribbon accreditation, a leading charity that aims to end male violence against women and is part of the global White Ribbon movement.
  • The council will encourage all male councillors and staff to take the White Ribbon pledge, promising to never take part in, condone, or stay silent about violence against women and to call out sexual objectification.
  • The council will mark White Ribbon Day on November 25 each year, where men wear white ribbons to show their support for the campaign.
  • The council will continue to work year-round with organizations and support campaigns for the end of violence against women and the promotion of healthy relationships.
  • The council aims to ensure women are safe, citing ONS figures which show almost one in three women aged 16-59 will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime.
  • The council is also working towards Domestic Abuse Housing Accreditation (DAHA) to improve the response of housing providers to domestic abuse and improve outcomes for providers.

Statistics:

  • ONS figures show that almost one in three women aged 16-59 will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime.
  • Two women a week in England and Wales are killed by a current or former partner.
  • Over 500,000 women are raped or sexually assaulted each year.
  • A YouGov poll shows that a third of girls have experienced sexual harassment in schools.
  • Three in five women have experienced sexual harassment, bullying, or verbal abuse in the workplace, according to the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
  • Three in five women have experienced three or more incidents of bullying at work, according to the TUC.

Sources:

  • [Source 1: City of Canterbury Home - Latest News - Councillors unite in fight to keep women and girls safe]
  • [Source 2: White Ribbon UK]
  • [Source 3: ONS (Office for National Statistics) figures]
  • [Source 4: Trade Union Congress (TUC) reports]
  • [Source 5: YouGov poll]