Landmark summit sees London’s health partners adopt a public health approach to tackling VAWG

Article here. Excerpt:

'A landmark summit has been held in central London today at which London’s health partners have renewed their commitment to the Mayor of London’s public health approach to tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG).

NHS London, the new Integrated Care Boards and Directors of Public Health, together with local authority community safety and safeguarding leads have today signed up to a number of pledges to tackle misogyny, sexual harassment and violence against women and girls through their services and in health environments to help prevent VAWG across the capital.

The six core pledges are:

• Recognise all forms of violence against women and girls in everything we do - Develop strategies and policies to identify how each respective organisation tackles all VAWG in all areas of business.
• Embed action to end perpetration of VAWG - Address offender behaviour, supporting them to change, while ensuring the safety of the victim is at the heart of any action.
• Work together to actively tackle VAWG - Create a culture across all partners where all staff are confident to identify and respond to VAWG whether it’s dealing with a staff issue or supporting a patient.
• Strengthen workplace safety - Acknowledge and address the role of power dynamics within work environments and providing protection and support for staff who are experiencing or have experienced VAWG.
• Promote a collaborative learning environment - Understand the gaps in knowledge within our services and listening to experiences of colleagues to provide effective staff training focused on providing bespoke support to the needs of individual.
• Ensure an anti-misogynistic environment - Develop a shared understanding of what misogyny is, identifying structural barriers and working to address them, and through training with a focus on allyship to ensure there is no space for misogyny in the workplace.'