Home | Policing and crime | Keeping people safe | The Safety of Women and Girls | The Safety of Women and Girls Strategy

The Safety of Women and Girls Strategy

Safety should never come at a cost. Protecting the women and girls of West Yorkshire is one of the key commitments that The Mayor made when coming into power. Read on to learn more about The Mayor of West Yorkshire's 'Safety of Women and Girls Strategy', as well as our key themes on the issue.

The link below takes you to the BBC website should you need to exit quickly. It does not erase browser history. 

Two young women at the Police And Crime Plan Launch 2025

Key themes of the strategy

Four key themes have been chosen after extensive consultation with the public and partner organisations across West Yorkshire. Under each theme there are actions which we will deliver upon with the support of our partners and wider organisations. 

The themes are: 

  • Education and prevention 
  • Behaviour change 
  • Safe spaces 
  • Supporting the sector

The Safety of Women and Girls Strategy 

This strategy outlines how we are working with partners and communities across West Yorkshire, listening to lived experiences, and driving long-term change to improve the safety of women and girls.

Woman in uniform reading 'Policy Community Support Officer'

Cross-cutting themes

Two topics cut cross everything we hope to achieve under this strategy, and will influence our work in partnership, delivery, and commissioning. They reflect our ambition to create a safe, just, and inclusive West Yorkshire. 

The cross-cutting themes are:

  • Role of men and boys 
  • Equality, diversity and inclusion 

One of my key commitments as Mayor is keeping women and girls safe. That is why I put it at the heart of my Police and Crime Plan and created this strategy. West Yorkshire is home to over 1.2 million women and girls, and every one of them should feel safe. Safe at home, at work, on a night out, walking in a park, anywhere. We will deliver this strategy with a public health approach, that brings long term change for the women and girls of West Yorkshire. The focus must shift on how we can work together to ensure this societal change happens. This will be a challenging and complex ambition to achieve but doing nothing is not an option. Together we can make West Yorkshire a safe, just, and inclusive place for women and girls.

Tracy Brabin

Mayor of West Yorkshire

Tracy Brabin talking to other women at Women and Girls Strategy co design event 2022

As a survivor of sexual and domestic abuse I feel a strong personal responsibility towards making West Yorkshire safer for women and girls. The Mayor of West Yorkshire and I will continue to work with the police, partner agencies, voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations and victims and survivors to ensure we deliver for those who are most vulnerable, putting them at the heart of our response. We will continue to lobby government for change, ensuring the Mayor’s and my voice are heard at a national level. This strategy builds on years of work but there is still a lot to do to increase the safety of women and girls. I can’t wait to see the incredible things we will achieve together. Our time is now.

Alison Lowe OBE

Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime

Alison Lowe OBE at Safer Parks Symposium at Leeds University

Thank you

We would like to thank all of our partners who were involved in creating this strategy, those who took part in the consultation process and/or attended the co-design events.

We value your continued committed partnership working. We all have a vital contribution to make to improve the quality of life for the people of West Yorkshire and deliver this strategy. 

Contact 

The Safety of Women and Girls

Just Don't

Policing and crime

Launch Accessibility Toolbar