Minutes:
AMENDMENT MOVED AND SECONDED - This Council Meeting notes that
· The Marmot Review 10 years on report found that Austerity has taken its toll in all the domains set out in the Marmot Review, from rising child poverty and the closure of children’s centres, to declines in education funding, an increase in precarious work and zero hours contracts, to a housing affordability crisis and a rise in homelessness, to people with insufficient money to lead a healthy life and resorting to foodbanks in large numbers, to ignored communities with poor conditions and little reason for hope;
· The Fawcett Society 2015 ‘Where’s the Benefit’ report found that many of the individual cuts, as well as their cumulative impact, are having a disproportionate impact on women: 85 per cent of the money saved from tax and benefit changes has come from women’s pockets, and that, evidence suggests that certain groups of women are becoming poorer, less financially autonomous, and in some instances increasingly vulnerable to abuse and exploitation as a result of these reforms;
· Meanwhile a BBC news report last July found that the initial three months of the first national lockdown saw an 80% increase in calls to the National Domestic Abuse Hotline;
· That, according to crime-survey and other government data, victims disproportionately come from those groups which already experience inequality and additional challenges in our society, including those who are mixed-race, have disabilities, or are transgender; and
· ONS figures show that almost one in three women aged 16-59 will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime, that two women a week in England and Wales are killed by a current or former partner, that over half a million women are raped or sexually assaulted each year and that a YouGov poll shows that a third of girls have experienced sexual harassment in schools.
This Council Meeting further notes that
· White Ribbon UK is the leading charity with a mission to end male violence against women and part of the global White Ribbon movement which arose from a campaign started by men in Canada in 2004;
· Their aim is to work together with supporters, ambassadors, champions, organisations and policy makers, to raise awareness, educate and campaign to bring about change;
· These partners are working with right across England and Wales engaging with many thousands of people to change the cultures that lead to violence against women and girls; and
· Councils not only provide essential public services, but are anchor institutions that are ideally placed enable collaboration between local partners.
This Council recognises
· The GM gender based abused strategy proposals that were released in March this year, which asks all public bodies in Greater Manchester to make improving women’s and girls’ safety a priority; and
· That work is well underway for the Council to become White Ribbon accredited, including the associated action plan.
This Council Meeting believes male violence against women can never be condoned and Stockport Council should do everything in its power to ensure women are safe. As part of this, the council should facilitate and encourage participation by councillors, staff and schools in the White Ribbon Campaign.
This Council Meeting therefore resolves to
· Continue the White Ribbon accreditation process;
· Encourage all Councillors, especially males, to take the White Ribbon pledge, never to take part in, condone or stay silent about violence against women;
· Use the Councils influence to encourage other public sector partners who have not sought White Ribbon accreditation to do so;
· Mark White Ribbon Day on 25th November each year with a fundraising event; and encourage participation among council staff and local primary and secondary schools; and
· Establish an all party working group to ensure that the borough’s strong local representation is incorporated into the GM Gender Based Abuse Strategy.
AMENDMENT CARRIED
It was then
RESOLVED - This Council Meeting notes that
· The Marmot Review 10 years on report found that Austerity has taken its toll in all the domains set out in the Marmot Review, from rising child poverty and the closure of children’s centres, to declines in education funding, an increase in precarious work and zero hours contracts, to a housing affordability crisis and a rise in homelessness, to people with insufficient money to lead a healthy life and resorting to foodbanks in large numbers, to ignored communities with poor conditions and little reason for hope;
· The Fawcett Society 2015 ‘Where’s the Benefit’ report found that many of the individual cuts, as well as their cumulative impact, are having a disproportionate impact on women: 85 per cent of the money saved from tax and benefit changes has come from women’s pockets, and that, evidence suggests that certain groups of women are becoming poorer, less financially autonomous, and in some instances increasingly vulnerable to abuse and exploitation as a result of these reforms;
· Meanwhile a BBC news report last July found that the initial three months of the first national lockdown saw an 80% increase in calls to the National Domestic Abuse Hotline;
· That, according to crime-survey and other government data, victims disproportionately come from those groups which already experience inequality and additional challenges in our society, including those who are mixed-race, have disabilities, or are transgender; and
· ONS figures show that almost one in three women aged 16-59 will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime, that two women a week in England and Wales are killed by a current or former partner, that over half a million women are raped or sexually assaulted each year and that a YouGov poll shows that a third of girls have experienced sexual harassment in schools.
This Council Meeting further notes that
· White Ribbon UK is the leading charity with a mission to end male violence against women and part of the global White Ribbon movement which arose from a campaign started by men in Canada in 2004;
· Their aim is to work together with supporters, ambassadors, champions, organisations and policy makers, to raise awareness, educate and campaign to bring about change;
· These partners are working with right across England and Wales engaging with many thousands of people to change the cultures that lead to violence against women and girls; and
· Councils not only provide essential public services, but are anchor institutions that are ideally placed enable collaboration between local partners.
This Council recognises
· The GM gender based abused strategy proposals that were released in March this year, which asks all public bodies in Greater Manchester to make improving women’s and girls’ safety a priority; and
· That work is well underway for the Council to become White Ribbon accredited, including the associated action plan.
This Council Meeting believes male violence against women can never be condoned and Stockport Council should do everything in its power to ensure women are safe. As part of this, the council should facilitate and encourage participation by councillors, staff and schools in the White Ribbon Campaign.
This Council Meeting therefore resolves to
· Continue the White Ribbon accreditation process;
· Encourage all Councillors, especially males, to take the White Ribbon pledge, never to take part in, condone or stay silent about violence against women;
· Use the Councils influence to encourage other public sector partners who have not sought White Ribbon accreditation to do so;
· Mark White Ribbon Day on 25th November each year with a fundraising event; and encourage participation among council staff and local primary and secondary schools; and
· Establish an all party working group to ensure that the borough’s strong local representation is incorporated into the GM Gender Based Abuse Strategy.