What you can do to help

Join our Independent Advisory Group (IAG)

As a member of the Herts VAWG IAG group you will proactively contribute your thoughts and knowledge, along with lived experience if you would like to share, to help inform and constructively challenge the development and delivery of police services and training.

For further information, see our campaigns section. 

Listen

Violence and abuse should not be something women and girls feel ashamed about. Survivors of violence are speaking out more than ever before.

When a woman shares her story of violence, she takes the first step to breaking the cycle of abuse. The United Nations Women suggest ten ways you can help end violence against women – the first one is ‘listen to and believe survivors.’

Recognise

There are many forms of abuse and any one of them can have serious physical, emotional and psychological effects. Some victims may not recognise the behaviour towards them as abusive.  The  more we have these conversation, the better we can recognise and work together to end violence against women. Herts Sunflower has useful information about recognising the signs and encouraging others to help people they know may be experiencing abuse.

Call it out

Sexual harassment and sexual offences have significantly risen – meaning more people are aware that this behaviour isn’t acceptable and are reporting it to us.

Be Lads is an awareness and safety campaign which provides practical steps for men to take to help women feel safer when they are walking alone. Further information is available on the website.

Bystanders and witnesses of inappropriate sexual behaviour are being encouraged to speak up, intervene if they can and report incidents.

You can help by taking simple and non-confrontation steps to interrupt or diffuse a situation if you see behaviour such as leering, catcalling, touching, pressing, upskirting, or indecent exposure.

This could involve:

• Giving the victim a way out of the situation by offering your seat
• Interrupting the situation by striking up an unrelated conversation or standing between the perpetrator and the victim
• Supporting the victim by asking them if they are ok
• Or, if it is safe to so, speaking calmly to the person causing the issue.

Education

Acknowledging the impact of negatively gender based behaviour can help us to challenge and change those behaviours.

We all have a role to play in setting examples for the younger generation, to shape the way they think about behaviour, gender and human rights.

United approach

The response needed to end violence against women and girls is often described as a ‘whole-system approach.’ This means organisations, agencies and individuals all working together to tackle VAWG.

As a force, we are committed to ensuring we offer victims of VAWG support and will work closely with our partners and local communities to ensure that we provide appropriate services for those affected. But everyone would prefer for it to not happen in the first place.