Kingston Council has commitment to engage with boys and men to end male violence against women and girls, as part of the White Ribbon Accreditation.
This will include increasing the knowledge and skills internally for staff to address violence against women through male ambassadors.
It will also see the authority work with communities to raise awareness and improve safety for women and girls, as well as engage with schools and youth settings around preventative work.
Commenting, Kingston Council’s Deputy Leader, Councillor Tim Cobbett said:
“At Kingston Council, we believe that all our employees have a right to a safe working environment, free from harassment or abuse.
“Male violence in all its forms has an impact on the health and safety of employees, their wellbeing and their productivity.
“We recently launched a domestic abuse policy and through the White Ribbon action plan, will review support to employees.
“It is not just about violence, we want Kingston to be a safe and respectful working environment for everyone and tackle inequality in all its forms.
“We are now working to become a White Ribbon Accredited Organisation by engaging with men and boys, changing cultures and raising awareness.
“We encourage all men to wear a White Ribbon and make the promise to never commit, excuse or remain silent about violence against women.”
The council said the safety of all women and girls has always been a high priority for them and that is why they are committed to safeguarding and preventing harm.
Kingston Council works closely with the police and other partners to ensure local support services are accessible to victim survivors and ensure work is being done at a local level to tackle sexual violence, sexism, as well as harassment and abuse against women.
In addition to being committed to becoming a White Ribbon Accredited Organisation, the authority is also carrying out a year-long programme of work to address the safety of women and girls in the borough.
