A community campaigner is calling for more to be done in Sefton to tackle “the epidemic of violence against women and girls”.
Southport councillor Jen Corcoran, who won a Diversity and Inclusion Award at last year’s Grand Pride Of Sefton Awards, is putting forward some solutions at the full Sefton Council meeting at Southport Town Hall next Thursday (24th April 2025).
Cllr Corcoran is also the organiser of the annual Sefton Pride event, and is a determined equality campaigner.
She is calling for Sefton Council to back her calls to support Women’s Aid in welcoming the Government’s commitment to halve violence against women and girls in the next decade.
She said: “Like Women’s Aid, the Council recognises that this bold ambition cannot be realised by national government alone, and action is needed from local councillors, leaders and Police and Crime Commissioners to turn the tide on violence against women and girls in our local communities.
“This Council recognises the physical and emotional cost of violence against women and girls in survivors and their family, friends and communities, which is devastating.
“Domestic abuse can cause a range of health issues including depression, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and brain injuries.
“Sefton Council also notes that there is evidence that attitudes towards healthy relationships in young people are showing concerning trends, with research indicating a direct correlation between exposure to misogynistic social media content and unhealthy views on relationships (Women’s Aid, 2023), and young people do not always know where to access support.”
Cllr Corcoran wants Sefton councillors to “address the epidemic of violence against women and girls” by pledging o:
- continue to work with survivors and local specialists and ‘by and for’ services to understand the impact of violence against women and girls in Sefton as reflected in priority 2 of Sefton’s Safer, Stronger, Together Strategy 2023-26
- work with headteachers, governing bodies and academy trusts as appropriate with a view to ensuring that comprehensive education on healthy relationships and recognising and preventing the coercive control is available in all schools and colleges across Sefton
- ensure that Sefton’s procurement practices for commissioning violence against women and girls’ services are cognisant of how these align with statutory guidance and the needs of all survivors, including the most marginalised survivors
- continue to gather local data from local services and groups to ensure that responses are as effective as they should be;
- continue to work together with all our partner agencies to educate and stand up against violence against women and girls of all ages and in all environments throughout Sefton
- acknowledge the report entitled ‘Femicide in Merseyside
- 15 Years of Failing Women’ and act upon the findings and recommendations contained therein, and in line with the response from the Safter, Stronger Together Partnership,
- report to Members within 12 months on the actions it has undertaken to fulfil the pledges of this motion.
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