Labour councillors call for Portsmouth 'safety audit' in bid to make city safer for women

A motion proposed by councillor Kirsty Mellor will urge the council to step up its work to 'eradicate' the issue of male violence.

'Male violence against women and girls is a prevalent, persistent and serious issue,' she will say. 'One in three women globally have been subjected to physical or sexual violence in their lifetimes.'

Her motion, which will be seconded by councillor Charlotte Gerada, says women should 'not be required to behave differently' and that everyone had a responsibility to contribute to tackling the problem.

It adds: 'It is the root cause that needs to be tackled: namely challenging the behaviour of men who perpetrate violence.

'Male violence in all its forms must be eradicated so women feel able to live their lives freely, without fear of harm.'

The motion calls on the council's cabinet to carry out the audit to gather public views on ways to improve things, including extending the provision of street lighting and CCTV coverage across the city.

It also asks:

:: For its licensing committee to look at ways it can require late night venues to train staff annually to be able to deal with complaints of sexual harassment,

:: the governance committee 'to strongly encourage and recommend' attendance by all councillors to complete training sessions on handling disclosures of domestic abuse and sexual violence,

:: the council to raise awareness of domestic abuse,

:: and for the cabinet to 'raise the positive profile of women and girls in the city, including the installation of street art.

Speaking ahead of Tuesday's meeting, Cllr Mellor said her motion was focused on 'a much more holistic response' to the issue than proposed within the government strategy.

'We have been arguing for years that women's safety is everyone’s responsibility,' she said.

'To achieve this requires considerable efforts from all community members, including elected representatives, to work with police forces to tackle gender abuse and discrimination.

'Everyone who works in a public-facing role has a responsibility for keeping the public safe.'

She said it was important councillors were better-informed on the issue and how to address concerns.

The motion comes days after the formation of a new city-wide forum to tackle the 'heartbreaking' problem by Cllr Mellor.

Claire Lambon, from Stop Domestic Abuse, a group member, said organisations needed to work more closely to respond to it.

She said: ‘To successfully prevent violence against women and girls, both now and in the future, it is essential to tackle the root causes of violence, which includes challenging societal and cultural norms that can lead to violence.'

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