Issue

Violence Against Women and Girls

21 stories · discussed at 7 council meetings · 18 councils

Councils are adopting new strategies and funding support services to address violence against women and girls, with a focus on prevention and community engagement.

Several councils are currently adopting new strategies to address violence against women and girls (VAWG). Barking and Dagenham Council adopted its 2026-2030 Community Safety Partnership Strategy in September 2026, making VAWG a priority. This follows a formal commitment in February 2026 to embed prevention measures. Croydon Council also adopted a new Community Safety Strategy in July 2026 focusing on tackling VAWG, while Kingston upon Thames Council approved its Ending Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy 2025-30 in June 2026, adding online harm as a new priority.

Councils are also allocating significant funding and implementing specific initiatives. Haringey Council awarded over £3 million in contracts for domestic abuse and VAWG support services in December 2025, and secured £5,000 for outreach to sex workers in October 2025. Waltham Forest's VAWG specialist services secured funding until 2027 in November 2025. Sutton is piloting new Domestic Abuse Protection Orders, which began in November 2024, to enhance protection for victims of domestic abuse and VAWG.

The Barking and Dagenham Community Safety Partnership Board is scheduled to meet on 7 October 2026, where discussions related to community safety, including violence against women and girls, are expected. Violence against women and girls (VAWG) encompasses various forms of violence and abuse perpetrated against women and girls, and is a priority area within many councils' community safety strategies.

Key facts

  1. Barking and Dagenham Council adopted its Community Safety Partnership Strategy for 2026-2030 on 23 September 2026. Source
  2. Kingston upon Thames Council approved its Ending Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy 2025-30 on 23 June 2026. Source
  3. Barking and Dagenham Council formally committed to tackling VAWG on 25 February 2026. Source
  4. Haringey Council awarded £3,029,958 in contracts for domestic abuse and VAWG support services on 9 December 2025. Source
  5. Barnet Council's Cabinet approved the Domestic Abuse and VAWG Strategy 2025-2029 in September 2025. Source
About this summary

This summary was written automatically from our published stories and the council meeting records they draw on, with background from Wikipedia. It describes what councils have discussed and decided; it does not take a view on any decision. Each key fact links to the story it comes from. Updated 30 September 2026. Spotted a mistake? Email community@opencouncil.network.

Latest stories

  1. Barking & Dagenham adopts new crime strategy Barking and Dagenham Council has officially adopted its new Community Safety Partnership Strategy for 2026-2030, outlining a comprehensive four-year plan to tackle crime and... Barking and Dagenham 30 September 2026
  2. Neighbourhood Watch Southwark Highlights Knife Crime and Violence Against Women and Girls Neighbourhood Watch Southwark has highlighted the ongoing issue of knife crime and violence against women and girls in the borough. Southwark 27 September 2026
  3. Croydon Council Adopts New Community Safety Strategy with Crime Reduction Focus Croydon Council has adopted a new Community Safety Strategy for 2026-2029, building on a reported four percent decrease in overall crime since 2023. Mayor Jason Perry... Croydon 23 July 2026
  4. Croydon adopts new strategy to combat crime Croydon Council has adopted a new Community Safety Strategy for 2026-2029, aiming to combat crime and enhance neighbourhood safety across the borough. The strategy builds upon... Croydon 23 July 2026
  5. H&F Council's Community Safety Board to scrutinise two reports per meeting for in-depth examination Hammersmith and Fulham Council's Community Safety Board has agreed to scrutinise a maximum of two major reports per meeting, aiming for more in-depth examination of key issues.... Hammersmith and Fulham 20 July 2026
  6. Lambeth Council Faces Concerns Over Community Safety Indicators Lambeth's community safety performance is under scrutiny, with a recent council meeting revealing several key indicators are failing to meet targets. The Lambeth Cabinet... Lambeth 3 July 2026
  7. New strategy to tackle violence against women and girls approved Kingston upon Thames Council has officially approved a new strategy aimed at tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) as part of its broader commitment to enhancing... Kingston upon Thames 25 June 2026
  8. Bexley Council Clarifies White Ribbon Ambassador and Champion Roles Bexley Council's Finance & Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, to discuss the roles of White Ribbon ambassadors and champions,... Bexley 27 March 2026