The Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands, Simon Foster, says he is pleased to see evidence that violence against women and girls is falling in our region, but emphasises that “we cannot be complacent and we never will be, because one victim of violence against women and girls is one too many”.
The PCC has praised his Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP), along with other organisations, for projects which have helped reduce this type of violence by 10% across the West Midlands.
These projects include training and webinars for professionals.
Hundreds of employees from across the West Midlands have taken part in specialist training delivered by Men at Work. It is aimed at helping them have difficult conversations with young men and boys, identify signs of harmful behaviour and addresses misogyny.
Meanwhile, the Time to Talk programme has been delivered in almost 130 schools since March 2022 and offers a safe space for boys, ranging from 11-18, to discuss often taboo subjects such as porn, sexting, consent, gender bias and misogyny.
By March 2025, the Feast programme will have delivered wellbeing sessions focused on faith, belief and values in the context of VAWG to almost 360 students. It explores how these factors impact an individual’s attitude and the way they interact with others.
An Early Years programme is also delivered in partnership with Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid. Bright Beginnings teaches young children aged 3-5 the importance of knowing how to keep safe, knowing who their trusted adults are and who is allowed to touch them. It also addresses signs of domestic abuse and how teachers and staff can recognise signs of abuse at home.
Over 1,400 people have taken part in webinars aimed at raising awareness of VAWG and equipping participants with the tools required to help themselves and support others.
The Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster said: “Violence against women and girls is abhorrent, it will not be tolerated and bringing an end to it is a priority for me.
“I am pleased that the work of our Violence Reduction Partnership is helping to bring down violence by educating our communities and providing them with the right support and guidance.
“However, whilst I welcome the news of violence reducing, we cannot be complacent and we never will be, because one victim of violence against women and girls is one too many.
“I must emphasise that there is lots more that we all need to do, to keep women and girls safe. I am committed to preventing and tackling violence against women and girls.”
The Men at Work, Time to Talk and Feast projects are funded by the Home Office Safer Streets Fund.
The West Midlands Violence Reduction Partnership brings together the public, private, voluntary and community sectors to tackle the root causes of violence.
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