Barking and Dagenham Launches VAWG Strategy Consultation for Women Safety 2026

Key Points

• Public Consultation Launched: Barking and Dagenham Council has formally opened a public consultation to inform its new Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy.
• Broad Community Engagement: The local authority is inviting feedback from residents, business owners, voluntary groups, faith organisations, and local professionals.
• Scope of Strategy: The initiative addresses multiple forms of gender-based violence, including domestic abuse, sexual violence, stalking, and harassment.
• Core Objectives: Key goals include improving preventative measures, boosting victim support services, enhancing public safety, and ensuring perpetrator accountability.
• Official Statement: Councillor Saima Ashraf emphasised that ending violence against women and girls is a collective responsibility across the borough.

Barking and Dagenham (East London Times) November 6, 2026 – Barking and Dagenham Council has launched a comprehensive public consultation exercise to help shape its forthcoming Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy. The local authority is actively calling upon local residents, business owners, voluntary sector bodies, community organisations, faith leaders, and professional stakeholders operating across the borough to contribute their views, personal experiences, and strategic ideas. This public engagement process aims to establish clear future priorities and direct actionable measures to prevent gender-based violence, enhance safety in public and private spaces, strengthen specialized support mechanisms for victims and survivors, and hold perpetrators accountable for their actions.

Why Has Barking and Dagenham Council Launched a New VAWG Strategy Consultation?

Violence against women and girls remains a critical public policy concern both at the national level across the United Kingdom and within local East London communities. Gender-based offences—encompassing domestic abuse, sexual violence, stalking, street harassment, and digital abuse—continue to inflict profound physical, emotional, and economic damage on individuals, families, and wider neighbourhoods.

In response to these persistent challenges, Barking and Dagenham Council is working in coordination with local statutory partners and community stakeholders to formulate a refreshed strategic framework tailored specifically to the borough’s demographic and operational needs. The local authority has stated its commitment to fostering an environment where women and girls feel secure, while simultaneously establishing robust mechanisms to hold offenders accountable.

Who Can Participate in the Public Consultation Process?

The consultation exercise has been structured to gather insights from across all sections of the civic community. Participation is open to all residents living within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, alongside local commercial operators, voluntary sector representatives, community groups, and faith organisations. Furthermore, input is being sought from specialized practitioners, health workers, social care providers, and educational professionals who work directly with women, young girls, and families across the area.

In an official public statement outlining the initiative, Deputy Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, Councillor Saima Ashraf, emphasized the necessity of extensive community involvement:

“We want to hear from as many people as possible as we develop our new Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy. Whether you’re a resident, business owner, community leader or someone with lived experience, your views can help shape how we prevent violence, support victims and create safer communities.”

Councillor Saima Ashraf further remarked on the collective responsibility required to tackle gender-based violence effectively:

“Ending violence against women and girls is everyone’s responsibility and we hope people from across the borough will take a few minutes to take part in the consultation.”

What Specific Areas of Safety and Support Is the Consultation Focusing On?

The consultation portal and questionnaire focus on several key pillars of public safety and victim support. The council is seeking detailed feedback regarding:

• Perceptions of Local Safety: Gathering data on specific locations, public transport hubs, and residential areas where women and girls report feeling unsafe or at risk of harassment.
• Evaluation of Support Services: Assessing the accessibility, visibility, and effectiveness of existing crisis intervention services, emergency shelters, legal advice, and counselling support within the borough.
• Preventative Measures: Identifying community-led actions, educational programmes, street lighting improvements, and policing interventions that stakeholders believe would yield the greatest impact in reducing offences.
• Perpetrator Accountability: Collecting suggestions on how local enforcement agencies can better detect, disrupt, and prosecute offenders while delivering rehabilitation programmes to prevent reoffending.

Background of the Development

Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) has become a top strategic priority for local authorities across Greater London and the wider UK over the past decade. National statistics routinely demonstrate high prevalence rates for domestic abuse and sexual offences, prompting statutory mandates for local councils to formulate localized intervention strategies.

In outer East London boroughs such as Barking and Dagenham, local government leaders have increasingly prioritized cross-agency collaboration between the Metropolitan Police Service, the National Health Service (NHS), local education providers, and specialized third-sector charities. Previous policy initiatives within the borough have focused on expanding domestic abuse refuge provisions, improving street illumination in high-footfall areas, and delivering educational workshops in local secondary schools regarding healthy relationships and consent. The launch of this latest consultation represents a continuation of statutory efforts to update local policy frameworks in response to evolving legislative standards, police data, and direct community feedback.

Prediction: How This Development Can Affect the Local Audience

The implementation of a newly refined Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy following this consultation process is expected to directly impact several key demographic groups within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham:

• Victims and Survivors of Abuse: Women and girls experiencing domestic abuse or harassment are likely to see improved access to localized, trauma-informed support services, emergency crisis intervention, and streamlined referral pathways across local health and housing networks.
• Local Residents and Commuters: The feedback gathered regarding unsafe public locations is anticipated to inform local council urban planning, leading to targeted infrastructure improvements such as upgraded street lighting, enhanced CCTV coverage, and safer public transport connections.
• Community Organisations and Businesses: Local commercial enterprises, night-time economy venues, and voluntary sector charities may receive targeted guidance, training, and potential funding support to implement safety protocols, bystander intervention training, and secure environment policies.
• Local Law Enforcement and Statutory Agencies: The resulting strategy will establish clear operational priorities for community safety teams and local police units, potentially leading to increased enforcement operations, targeted patrols in reported hot-spots, and tighter monitoring of perpetrators.