MERSEYSIDE'S Police Commissioner has unveiled a progress report detailing the achievements from the last 12 months in the work to tackle Violence against Women and Girls across the region.

The ‘Working in partnership to tackle Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) Delivery Plan’ was launched by Emily Spurrell 2 years ago after an extensive consultation.

It sets out a clear ambition to protect women and girls who live, work and visit Merseyside, prevent violence, pursue offenders and ensure tackling VAWG is prioritised and treated with urgency.

The strategy, which was agreed by all political leaders and contributed to by nearly 50 partners across the region, sets out 57 clear, straightforward and achievable actions which all agencies can deliver to help eradicate VAWG.

2 years on, ahead of International Day to End Violence against Women and Girls, the Commissioner has released a progress report detailing the successes and work that’s ongoing to tackle VAWG which builds upon the work done in the first year of launching the Strategy.

Key achievements from the last 12 months include:-

• 320 officers and more than 3,000 partners have received the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership’s trauma informed training to improve their response to victims and better safeguard vulnerable people.
• Night-time bus returns to the region aimed at making women and girls feel safer when travelling at night.
• More than 200 professionals have undertaken Savera UK’s Honour Based Abuse training.
• Domestic abuse refresher training for all lawyers and specialist training for all Rape and Serious Sexual Offence prosecutors.
• More than £440,000 for projects focused on creating Safer Streets in Liverpool, St Helens and Knowsley.
• £1.18m committed to support victims of domestic abuse.
• More than 100 schools taken part in the ‘Send Me A Selfie’ training delivered by the Ariel Trust.
• Increase in domestic abuse charge rates from 81.7% to 86.7%.

 
To support these outcomes, the Commissioner has:-

• Launched a region-wide strategy to tackle Modern Slavery and exploitation and improve the support provided to victims.
• Offered support to more than 40,000 victims of crime through the Victim Care Merseyside hub.
• Launched a partnership campaign #TakingAction with Merseyside Police’ Chief Constable, Serena Kennedy, pledging their 100% committed to tackling VAWG and putting the voices of women and girls 1st.
• Commissioned a new research study to better understand the true demand on domestic abuse services and how they are funded.
• Hosted yearly lived experience workshops to learn from victim-survivors. 

Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner, Emily Spurrell said:- “I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved in the last 2 years as a partnership to tackle Violence against Women and Girls across our region. Violence against Women and Girls is being treated nationally as an epidemic scale issue, and while there are no quick fixes, this partnership is about driving change through real, meaningful actions that will protect and improve the lives of women and girls across Merseyside. I am absolutely committed to making Merseyside a safer place for all women and girls and overseeing the progress of actions being delivered by all our partners who share the same commitment to make real, tangible change. 2 years on, and building on the work from the previous year, we’ve seen further significant progress, particularly along four key themes – better education and training, increased investment, key projects, and initiatives, and at the heart of all this work has been a commitment to listening to the voices of women and girls. Our work as a partnership has included providing vital investment for support services, introducing new initiatives to improve safety on our streets and our new #TakingAction campaign that puts the voices of women and girls 1st. These, plus many more achievements are all important steps in the efforts to better support victims and ensure women and girls are safer.”   

You can read the full ‘Working in partnership to tackle Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) Delivery Plan’.

To mark the start of the United Nation’s 16 Days of Activism, which runs from International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls (25 November 2024), until Human Rights Day (10 December 2024), the Commissioner is hosting a series of events.

These get underway with a community expo-style End Violence Against Women and Girls event (Monday, 25 November 2024) from 12pm-3pm. The stalled event, inside Liverpool Lime Street Station, brings VAWG charities and groups who are committed to ending gender-based violence together to raise awareness of the scale of VAWG in our communities, while promoting the support available to all those affected across Merseyside.

In the evening, Emily will host her 2nd event of the day, partnering with women’s services across the region for a candle-lit vigil, in Derby Square, to remember local women and girls who have tragically lost their lives to male violence.

The evening will include powerful speeches from local women with lived experience, allowing them to reflect on their own personal journeys and what they think needs to change for the better.

The Commissioner will present her 2-year progress report on the delivery of the region-wide strategy to a forum of victim-survivors and local support organisations at the end of the 16-day campaign, on Human Rights Day (10 December 2024), to continue her ongoing commitment to ensure that the voices of victim-survivors are at the heart of this work.

Emily added:- “Ending Violence against Women and Girls must be a priority for us all. The 16 days of campaigning that commence on Monday continue to be crucial dates in my calendar - as I know they are for so many – focused on raising awareness and driving real change that will improve women’s lives, freedom and safety globally. The events are designed to demonstrate our shared and ongoing commitment to eradicating Violence against Women and Girls and I would encourage anyone who has been affected or is committed to ending gender-based violence to join us.”

During the United Nation’s 16 Days of Activism, there will be a social media ‘takeover’ running on the Police Commissioner’s social media channels to highlight key achievements delivered by partners against the actions set out in Merseyside’s VAWG delivery plan. This will include Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, each local authority area, as well as Merseyside Police and the Crown Prosecution Service. 

You can stay up to date with the campaign on the PCC’s social media channels:- 

Twitter:- @MerseysidePCC
Facebook:- @MerseysidePoliceandCrimeCommissioner
Instagram:- @MerseysidePCC
LinkedIn:- @MerseysidePoliceCommissioner