Redbridge Council – the local authority for Redbridge in greater London, England – on Friday launched the Women’s Safety Mission Statement at Full Council to ensure that public spaces feel safer and are safer for women and girls in Redbridge.
The council, police and partners share a mission to work together with local people, businesses, workplaces and institutions.
The leader of Redbridge Council Councillor Jas Athwal was joined by Women’s Champion Councillor Saima Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Crime Safety and Community Cohesion Councillor Khayer Chowdhury, Chief Executive Claire Symonds, Women’s Network Senior Sponsor Pervinder Sandhu and Superintendent Lisa Butterfield to officially launch the statement.
The listening exercises consisted of surveys, focus groups, safety walks and workshops and the findings shared formed the basis for the Women’s Safety Mission Statement.
The council was able to hear from over 2,500 individuals about the issue of safety for women and girls in the borough. In 2021, it also set up the Community Crime Commission to tackle crime and the fear of crime.
The commission, an independent body made up of 16 commissioners, mainly residents, investigated five of the borough’s crime priorities, one of which was women and girls’ safety.
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Jas Athwal said: “Everyone has a right to feel safe going about their daily life, free from harassment and abuse. Our engagement with local women and girls has shone a light on their experiences and shown that this is not always the case in Redbridge.”
“We’re continuing to work closely with the police, partners and local people to highlight the experiences of women and girls and take action to make our borough safer for everyone.”
Saima Ahmed said: “As a local resident and champion of women’s safety, I am committed to improving the safety of all women and girls in Redbridge.”
“I understand that talking about experiences of sexual harassment and violence can be difficult, and I would like to take the opportunity to recognise and say a personal thank you to everyone that has shared their experiences with us.”
Source: United News of Bangladesh