Enfield Council’s new Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy 2026 to 2035 was unanimously approved by Cabinet.
The 56-page document sets out the council’s community safety partnership approach to preventing and addressing VAWG, with the vision to create a borough where all residents live a life free from domestic abuse and violence.
The 10-year strategy has been developed through the Safer Stronger Communities Board (SSCB) and the Metropolitan Police, to ensure the voice of both victims and survivors of abuse is heard and represented.
As part of the development of the strategy, the council consulted a wide range of community and voluntary sector organisations, including specialist violence against women and girls’ services.
The consultation was a series of workshops and face to face sessions with local organisations, including the Violence Against Women and Girls Strategic Group and the Domestic Violence Operations Group.
The strategy aims to prevent violence against women and girls before it happens, respond to immediate risk and support those who experience abuse, and develop long term support so the effect of VAWG does not affect several generations.
Cllr Gina Needs, Cabinet Member for Community Cohesion and Enforcement at Enfield Council, said: “The overall vision of our Violence Against Women and Girls strategy is to create a borough where women and girls live a safe and happy life, free from domestic abuse and violence.
“It is our responsibility to stand up to help prevent and address such violence including preventing it before it happens, responding to the immediate risk of violence and providing long term support for those impacted or affected.
“I hope that everyone will take the time to read the strategy and the stories of victims and survivors of violence to gain a greater understanding, and ensure they are our guides in making our borough a place where abuse it not tolerated.”
The council is following a public health approach to reducing VAWG which is also being widely adopted across the country.
The approach involves three key pillars that form the foundations of the council’s 10-year strategy including preventing violence before it occurs, responding to emerging or immediate risk of violence and long-term support after experiencing VAWG.
The priorities are to work in partnership to support all victims and survivors no matter where they are in their journey, understand, prevent, and tackle the root causes of all forms of violence, respond to the changing nature of how harassment and violence against women and girls is committed and holding perpetrators to account.