Enfield Council's Cabinet has approved a new ten-year strategy aimed at tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) across the borough. The Enfield Safer Stronger Communities Board Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy 2026-35, adopted on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, outlines a comprehensive public health approach to prevent violence, support victims, and hold perpetrators accountable.
The strategy, developed with input from survivors and partner agencies, sets out a vision for a borough where all residents can live free from domestic abuse and violence. It identifies four key priorities: supporting victims and survivors, understanding and tackling root causes, responding to evolving forms of harassment and violence, and holding perpetrators accountable.
Supporting Victims and Survivors
Central to the strategy is a commitment to Work in partnership to support all victims and survivors no matter where they are in their journey.
Core VAWG services are primarily funded through external grants, including from the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC). The Council directly funds two posts: one Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA) funded by the General Fund and one specialist housing-related advocate funded by the Housing Revenue Account (HRA). A further three IDVAs and one Independent Sexual Violence Advocate (ISVA) are funded through a MOPAC grant totalling £880,000 over four years (including 2025/26).
Tackling Root Causes and Evolving Harms
Another key priority is to Understand, prevent and tackle the root causes of all forms of violence.
The strategy adopts a public health approach, with a primary pillar focused on Preventing violence before it occurs
by Using data and evidence to identify risk and protective factors for violence and develop a series of programmes which lower the risk for current and future generations.
This includes challenging harmful attitudes and behaviours.
The strategy also addresses the Respond[ing] to the changing nature of how harassment and violence against women and girls is committed,
with a focus on new forms of harassment and abuse enabled by technology. This includes establishing a range of campaigns and awareness programmes focused on online harm
and ensuring partner agencies are fully informed about the developments in tech enabled offending.
Holding Perpetrators Accountable and Engaging Men
Holding perpetrators to account
is a core priority. The strategy outlines working with the Probation Service to ensure convicted perpetrators access evidence based interventions
and expanding the White Ribbon programme internally and across partner, community, and voluntary sector agencies to prevent the risk of violence escalating.
To challenge harmful attitudes and behaviours, the strategy fully supports the National White Ribbon Campaign. Enfield Council is White Ribbon accredited and has a White Ribbon Champion (the Director of Public Health) and eight male Ambassadors. An action plan is in place to embed the principles of White Ribbon across the Council, emphasizing that men are not bystanders and have an active role in challenging harassment or abuse of women.
Cabinet Member for Community Cohesion and Enforcement, Gina Needs, highlighted the strategy's victim-centred approach, emphasizing that the voices of survivors have guided its development. The strategy aligns with national and London-wide commitments to address VAWG and has undergone an Equalities Impact Assessment to ensure it considers the needs of all protected groups.
Monitoring and Funding
The SSCB Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy 2026-35 will be reviewed annually and refreshed every 3 years.
An annual report on progress, including emerging issues and challenges, will be published.
Regarding funding, core VAWG services are mainly funded through external grants, including from MOPAC. The Council directly funds two posts, with a further three IDVAs and one ISVA funded through a MOPAC grant totalling £880,000 over four years. This grant funding is confirmed until 2029, with no confirmation beyond March 2029. Any future financial commitments will require separate approval and must be contained within existing resources or secured through external funding.
The strategy also addresses the intergenerational impact of violence, acknowledging that experiences of abuse in early years can have profound and lasting consequences on children's development. Case studies within the strategy highlight the experiences of victims across different age groups, illustrating the pervasive nature of VAWG.
For more details, refer to the SSCB Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy 2026-35.
