Cllr Sara Conway on a key priority for the council

Barnet Councillors under a banner reading "alright darling" as part of a campaign against violence against women and girls — Credit – Barnet Council

Ending domestic abuse and violence against women and girls is one of Barnet Council’s highest priorities. We share the national ambition to treat VAWG as a serious public health and safety challenge, and we are working with partners to prevent harm, protect victims, and make Barnet a safer place for women and girls.

This month, we launched our updated Domestic Abuse & VAWG Strategy for 2025–2029 – a forward-thinking plan that puts prevention and education at its heart. We are committed to engaging communities, challenging harmful attitudes, and creating real cultural change.

Our priorities include making it easier for victims to report abuse, delivering trauma-informed and culturally sensitive support, and holding perpetrators to account through proven interventions. We are also amplifying youth voices through a dedicated panel, addressing online harms, tackling inequality, and co-designing solutions with residents and partners to ensure lasting impact.

Since 2023, the council has also invested £2.3 million to upgrade and expand Barnet’s CCTV network, making it fit for purpose and introducing 24/7 monitoring helping tackle a range of crime and anti-social behaviour, including VAWG, to provide extra safety and reassurance.

We are continuing to develop the Safe Havens pilot launched in 2024 to provide practical support and refuge, particularly for women and girls, who may feel intimidated, threatened or harassed while out in Barnet. This initiative is being expanded in partnership with the Safer Business Network to register and train businesses across the borough and we are delighted that all five Better Leisure Centres across Barnet recently joined the Safe Havens scheme.

We have run a range of creative campaigns to increase awareness of key issues and how to access to support.

This includes, responding to low service access among young women with a range of impactful advertising across the borough, a tailored, engaging awareness campaign featuring a digital quiz, targeted social media outreach and a high-profile partnership with Barnet-based national cosmetics retailer Barry M.

‘Step in Barnet’ our first campaign dedicated to challenging everyday harassment and empowering men and boys to become active allies, co-produced with local male residents, including an engaging and impactful video, and providing free bystander training sessions by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust.

Street advertising campaigns to highlight support services, and raise awareness about the silent call campaign to use 55 when calling 999 if it’s not safe to speak – we will be running this again over the festive period.

From 25th November to 10th December, for the third-year running, we took part in the 16 days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, an annual worldwide campaign to end violence against women and girls.

Our programme included joint police and council pop-up stands across the borough, offering practical advice on staying safe, and information for women and girls on how to access support for domestic abuse.

As part of our ongoing partnership with Middlesex University on the #HearMyVoice campaign, students designed posters raising awareness of online aggression towards women which were displayed at bus stops across Barnet and at an exhibition at the university.

Another group of students developed an innovative ‘Reflect Before You Speak’ awareness campaign displayed at the council’s Street Scene depot, encouraging the predominantly male team to recognise and reflect on the impact of ‘banter’ and to feel confident in challenging it. This was communicated via mirrors in the locker rooms, tablemats in the recreation area, and floor stickers around the depot.

Barnet was showcased at two pan-London events for the work we lead across 13 London boroughs on the pioneering Culturally Integrated Family Approach (CIFA) Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Programme in partnership with RISE Mutual CIC.

CIFA provides specialist support for victim-survivors and behaviour-change interventions for those causing harm. For every £1 invested, CIFA generates £39.16 in savings, providing significant value for money alongside strong behaviour change outcomes.

While the 16 days of activism was an excellent time to prioritise and highlight our focus, this is work that is integral throughout the year. Through a comprehensive and proactive partnership approach, significant investment in safety measures, and continued community engagement, we stand united in our campaign to ending domestic abuse and violence against women and girls.

Sara Conway is Barnet Council’s cabinet member for community safety, community cohesion and ending violence against women & girls

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