How Redbridge Council aims to tackle violence against women and girls: from our Women's Champion, Cllr Saima Ahmed

"When Sarah Everard went missing from a well-lit busy street in London and was later found dead, waves of anger, sadness and shock created a united front to raise voices against street violence. The issue of violence against women and girls and their safety re-emerged and got the country talking.

"Sadly, just a few weeks later, closer to home here in Redbridge, two separate cases of violent assault resulted in the tragic deaths of two women - 53-year-old Svetlana Mihalachi and 45-year-old Maria Rawlings."

Two men were arrested and have been charged with various offences. Both men have made their first Court appearances and are being kept in custody.

"A more common phenomenon and part of women’s and girl’s everyday public experience is harassment.

"Four-fifths of our young women and more than 70% of all women face sexual harassment on the UK’s streets [1]. This shows we have a very disturbing gender-based ‘harassment culture’ in public places. Despite victims sharing unanimously how these experiences have impacted them mentally, this unacceptable behaviour is normalised.

"From a very early age, women and girls witness and experience harassment in public spaces and adopt certain strategies to remain safe. I have been taught to always plan my journey ahead considering the safest steps, from doubling up to being on the phone, just to avoid danger.

"As a Redbridge resident, I can attest some of the inappropriate behaviour that I have both witnessed and been on the receiving end of.  The behaviour of some men and some boys in public spaces who perpetrate street harassment intimidates and dismisses the equal right of women and girls in that space. This is not acceptable, but not only to women and girls but to the majority of boys and men who are respectful to women and girls and are just as appalled at unacceptable behaviour committed by members of their own sex.

"Women and girls in Redbridge should be able to walk down the street – whatever time of the day – and not be harassed by men and boys.

"But herein lies a problem. Women and girls think that reporting harassment is a ‘waste of time’ as it is seen as a ‘low-level’ crime and the authorities won’t be able to investigate. There is a lack of faith in the system and policies where women and girls can be assured about their safety following reporting. But here in Redbridge we are drawing a line and saying, 'enough is enough'.

"Let’s no longer keep the issue of street harassment and the safety of women and girls in public spaces on the periphery of our discussions.

"Let’s all start the conversation to source, scale and eventually press for change."

Thank you

Cllr Saima Ahmed, Women's Champion at Redbridge Council

We have created a series of events for women and girls (including non-binary) who live, work, study, and travel to Redbridge to our confidential, virtual, and women-only listening exercises – an open space created to hear those voices.

Please speak out and let us hear YOUR voice by joining one of our events.

Sign up for free to join us on:
Monday 28 June
Wednesday 30 June

You can also share your views quickly by completing our online survey

Our survey is confidential and is open until Wednesday 30 June

Together, we will use the results of the listening events and survey to better understand the experiences of women and girls living, working, and travelling in Redbridge - so that we can understand what steps we need to take to ensure you feel safe. 

[1] Data from YouGov survey on thousand women and girls commissioned by UN Women UK in January 2021