Barnet Council has partnered with cosmetics brand Barry M in a new campaign to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG) aged 16-24.
Forming part of the council’s wider VAWG Action Plan for 2025 which addresses gender based violence in the borough, the campaign aims to communicate with young women about domestic abuse, signpost to victims where and how to find support, and identify and report abuse.
Last week Middlesex University hosted an event associated with the campaign for Freshers Week, encouraging more than 400 students to take part in a digital quiz about domestic abuse and in return win Barry M products and discount codes.
The university is entering its third year working with Barnet Council on its #HearMyVoice campaign, which strives to educate students about misogyny and domestic abuse by embedding cultural projects into the curriculum and empowering student engagement.
Dr Helen Bendon, Interim Head of the Film School at Middlesex University is heavily involved in the partnership and emphasised the importance of educating university students and young people about sexual violence.
She said: “It’s really important for us to set the tone and start conversations with new students because we don’t want them to be in situations where their whole experience at university is hijacked by sexual misconduct.
“People are very vulnerable when they’re away from home for the first time.”
Young women and girls aged 16-24 experience the highest rate of relationship and domestic abuse, and Barnet Council has emphasised the importance of focusing the campaign on this age group.
Evidence from Barnet’s One Stop Shop for domestic abuse support revealed most users of the service are aged over 30, which could suggest those younger are unaware of the support networks available or choose not to come forward.
As a result of the campaign, more than 60 Middlesex University students signed up for focus groups to contribute to Barnet’s VAWG Action Plan for 2025, which strives to create a community free of domestic abuse and violence against women and girls.
Councillor Sara Conway, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Participation said: “In Barnet we are bringing safety and participation together by co-producing our combatting Violence Against Women and Girls work with local voices and partners.
“Many thanks to the hundreds of students involved as part of our ongoing #HearMyVoice partnership with Middlesex University and to leading local business Barry M for their support.”
She also spoke of plans to upgrade CCTV systems across Barnet, create safe havens across the borough to provide temporary refuge for victims, promoting the One Stop Shop for domestic abuse support and designing a perpetrators programme to reduce reoffending.
Barry M CEO and Managing Director Dean Mero also praised the partnership: “Barry M has been based in Barnet since the 1980s and we’re delighted to support Barnet Council in this important initiative.
“Encouraging women and girls to understand more about and report abuse is vital, and we wholeheartedly share Barnet Borough’s vision of a world free from domestic abuse and violence.”
In Barnet, 2,623 domestic abuse incidents were reported to the police in the year ending 23/24.
Domestic violence was declared a national emergency by police chiefs earlier this year, and the National Police Chiefs’ Council found that VAWG related crime accounted for 20% of all police recorded crime over the last two full calendar years.
At least 1 in every 12 women will be a victim of domestic abuse and violence annually.
For relationship and domestic abuse support in Barnet visit the council website.
National support organisations are also available via the Met Police website.
Featured image credit: Ben Serlin
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