Havering Violence Against Womens and Girls (VAWG) Strategy consultation

We carried out a consultation between 25 November 2024 and 17 January 2025 to seek views on Havering’s draft Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy 2025-29.

VAWG is deeply linked to gender inequality and can have a huge impact on individuals and society. While most victims and survivors are women and girls, people of any gender can experience these types of abuse.

We asked respondents to share their knowledge, understanding and perceptions of VAWG to help shape our services going forward and ensure our draft strategy supports our residents and their needs and makes Havering a safer place to live.

157 responses were received to the online consultation:

• Connection to Havering: 63.06% of respondents live in Havering, 32.48% are educated there, and 24.84% work in the area
• Gender Identity: 89.17% of respondents identify as female, 7.64% as male, and smaller proportions identify as non-binary or prefer not to disclose their gender.
• Sexual Orientation: 78.98% identify as straight or heterosexual, 9.55% as bisexual, and smaller proportions identify as gay or lesbian or prefer not to disclose.
• Faith: 48.41% identify as Christian, 33.12% as having no religion, and smaller proportions identify as Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, or prefer not to disclose.
• Disability or Health Condition: 24.84% reported having a disability, impairment, or health condition.
• Age: Most respondents fell into the age brackets of 16-17 (36.31%), 55-64 (17.83%), and 45-54 (11.46%).
• Locations of VAWG: Home was the most common setting (37.58%), followed by public transport (26.11%), town centres (7.64%), open spaces (7.01%), pubs, bars or restaurants (5.73%), and work (2.55%).
• Engagement with VAWG Services: 12.10% of respondents had used VAWG services in the last 12 months, with Havering Women’s Aid being the most accessed.
• Critical Issues: The top three issues identified were sexual abuse, domestic abuse, and stalking and harassment.
• Key Needs: The top three areas of focus included the provision of counselling and mental health services (68.15%), education and prevention programs (64.33%), and emergency shelters or refuges (62.42%).

Havering's Cabinet met on 9 April 2025 and agreed the Havering Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy 2025-29 and Action Plan.

As a direct result of your feedback, our actions include:

• Enhance community outreach and awareness.
• Improve access to counselling and mental health services.
• Strengthen emergency shelters and refuges.
• Implement education and prevention programs.
• Enhance legal assistance and understanding of rights.
• Support perpetrator change programs.
• Address critical issues identified in the survey.
• Improve engagement with VAWG services.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of VAWG services.
• Collaborate with various stakeholders.

An action plan has been developed which includes the findings, key areas of enquiry, and recommendations highlighted from the consultation survey which aim to improve the overall response to VAWG in Havering. The VAWG strategic partnership will take ownership of the action plan and support its delivery.

Please see the full Public Document Pack Here which includes the consultation report, action plan and equalities and health impact assessment.