Mayor’s Women and Girls Strategy Builds Momentum

21st September 2022

The safety of women and girls across West Yorkshire has been the focus of an innovative ‘co-design’ event to help shape the region’s response.

This latest event took place in Wakefield with 60 attendees from charities, community safety organisations, local authorities, and the police joining West Yorkshire Mayor, Tracy Brabin, and her Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Alison Lowe OBE.

The purpose of this event was to discuss West Yorkshire’s upcoming Safety of Women and Girls Strategy which is set to launch later this year.

The strategy promises to set out the priority areas in tackling violence against women and girls and outline how partners can work together to create a safer West Yorkshire for all.

Speaking at the event, Tracy Brabin said:

“I remain determined to do everything in my power to improve the safety of women and girls in West Yorkshire.

“This issue is at the heart of my Police and Crime Plan, and I am committed to creating a strategy which will truly deliver upon my pledge.

“It has been incredibly valuable to be surrounded by the fantastic expertise of our partners, working together to achieve a safe, just and inclusive West Yorkshire.”

Alison Lowe OBE added:

“This event enabled us to bring together and draw upon the experiences of partners from across the region.

“Through working with the police, local organisations, victims, survivors, and local authorities, we are co-designing a Safety of Women and Girls strategy that is built around the needs of West Yorkshire.

“I am looking forward to the launch later this year and seeing the incredible things we will achieve together.”

The Safety of Women and Girls Strategy will add to ongoing work by the Mayor to ensure the safety of women and girls remains high on the agenda regionally and nationally.

This work includes securing nearly £14 million for victim support services in West Yorkshire. A portion of this money is funding 52 new Independent Sexual Violence/Domestic Violence Advisors in the region and supporting the establishment of a new service for victims of domestic abuse related stalking. While these services are rightly for everyone, they will provide crucial support for women and girls.

This followed a successful bid earlier in the year for over £700,000 to fund projects supporting women at night, including employing more street marshals and the extension of West Yorkshire’s ‘Ask for Angela’ initiative.