Decision details

RESOLVED:

That Council agreed:

a.

To ensure that SSDC continues to do everything in its power to build a district free from misogyny and violence against women and girls. This includes continuing to invest in vital services, listening and responding to women and girls about the action needed, and calling out misogyny and sexism wherever we see or hear it.

b.

That it is vital that women’s and girl’s voices are heard; and that the Council will bring forward a process that proactively encourages and listens to women’s voices across the district. This task force will seek to involve all women Councillors.

c.

To promote the Our Streets Now campaign to make street harassment a crime, and encourage all elected members, and residents to sign their petition.

d.

Call on the government to ratify the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combatting Violence Against Women and Girls, to ratify the International Labour Organisation’s No.190, recognising the right of everyone to work free from gender based violence and harassment and to make street harassment a criminal offence.

e.

To call on the Government to provide the resource and funding for police forces across the UK to effectively tackle harassment, misogyny and domestic abuse.

f.

To call on Avon and Somerset Police to record harassment of women and girls as a hate crime as soon as possible, not wait until they are required to do so.

g.

To call on Avon and Somerset Police to prioritise investigating crimes against women and girls and ask them to ensure that women and girls are treated with the required sensitivity.

h.

To work with Avon and Somerset Police on improving women’s safety in South Somerset.

i.

To continue to work with local and national networks working to end violence against women and girls

j.

To call on the County Council to work with schools and families to tackle toxic masculinity culture, and to educate men through campaigns and bringing in male “allies”.

k.

To become a White Ribbon Accredited Organisation. https://www.whiteribbon.org.uk/organisations

Reason:

To support the end of misogyny and male violence against women and girls.