As part of the United Nations’ 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence, Haringey Council led a local walk showcasing the work we are doing to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) in our borough. Over 50 people, including key partners, commissioned services, councillors, staff, and residents joined this special Walk for Women on Monday 27 November.
The walk started at George Meehan House, and ended at Duckett's Common, with rousing speeches and informative discussions along the way. Officially led by Cabinet Member for Health, Social Care, and Wellbeing, Cllr Lucia das Neves, the walk highlighted how the council is working proactively across different sectors and with partners across the community to create a safer borough for all women and girls. This included;
- George Meehan House. Leader of the Council, Cllr Peray Ahmet, welcomed attendees and outlined her passionate commitment to stamping out gender-based violence in Haringey. Cllr das Neves also welcomed guests, and re-affirmed Haringey’s commitment to tackling gender-based violence in collaboration with residents and other services and healthcare providers.
- Hearthstone Domestic Violence Advice and Support Centre. A service manager gave a talk on Hearthstone’s services, the work they do for women, how they can help women with safety planning and accommodation, and referral information.
- St Michael's Church (Safe Space). Church representative described some of the work the Church is doing around VAWG, what a Safe Space is, how women can use it, and why it is important.
- Station Road Mural. The walk stopped at the new colourful mural on Station Road that depicts women from diverse backgrounds. Representatives from commissioned IDVA services spoke about their specialist IDVA services in Haringey and how they support a range of victim-survivors of VAWG.
- Rising Green Youth Hub. Solace Women’s Aid shared information on their new pilot project working with boys and young men to tackle the attitudes that lead to abusive behaviours.
- The Sexual Health On Call (SHOC) Service Van. A SHOC worker spoke about the vital support they offer women involved in sex work in Haringey and why this provision is necessary for the health and wellbeing of this group.
- Duckett’s Common. The walk finished at Duckett’s Common, which boasts new streetlights as per the Labour Manifesto commitments to make public spaces safer for women.
Cllr Lucia das Neves said “We’re proud of the innovative and targeted approach we take to tackling gender-based violence in Haringey. The Walk for Women shows the best of Haringey – working together alongside the community to tackle deep-seated problems and showcasing our focus on different ways we can make a difference to women and girls.”
“We are working in partnership across the council and services, joining up with community safety and licencing to tackle street-based violence and discrimination. We provide specialist support services for communities that are more likely to face barriers to access help around their experiences of abuse, and we’re educating boys and young men on the role they can play in combating abuse. We all have our part to play in tackling gender-based violence.”
A local survivor of domestic abuse told us her story. After some initial contact with police, she said, “I was contacted by someone at Hearthstone, and got a lot of help with legal advice, how to claim benefits to pay for the house, counselling, accessing the food bank, and money to buy food. I did not know there were so many services that are for people in my situation. I have been supported by all these services, and I am so grateful for all the help.
“The message I can say to other people in similar situations is to look for help. I did not know what help was available out there until I made the decision to leave. People have been so kind to us in ways that I did not think possible. I am grateful for the support offered to me by Hearthstone and other agencies. I hope you go on to help many more other people in my situation.”
Haringey Council invites all residents, professionals, stakeholders, and anyone with any experience of VAWG to take our survey, which will help inform how we design new services in 2024. Take the survey here. The survey will close on 10 December 2023.
The council will also light George Meehan House purple each night to mark the 16 Days of Activism.
If you or someone you know is affected by gender-based violence, help is available here.
Notes to editor
- The council’s full VAWG Strategy can be found online: Our VAWG Strategy | Haringey Council
- The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign that kicks off on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day.
- This year’s them “UNITE! Invest to prevent violence against women and girls”. The campaign calls on citizens to show how much they care about ending violence against women and girls by sharing the actions they are taking to create a world free from violence towards women. This year's campaign also calls on governments worldwide to share how they are investing in gender-based violence prevention.
- Community safety information for Haringey can be found online: Community Safety | Haringey Council
