Boris Johnson will today (Tuesday) announce the development a new strategy to help end violence against women in London. The strategy is to be developed and written by London Metropolitan University and is expected to be published for public consultation in April 2009.
The University’s Child and Women Abuse Studies Unit will look at ways to tackle domestic violence, rape, forced marriage, trafficking, female genital mutilation and so called ‘honour’ crimes.
Johnson said he wanted London’s agencies to “do more to make women in London feel safer in their homes and out in the community” but warned “ending violence against women will not be easy and will involve tackling some very sensitive and complex issues.”
Professor Liz Kelly from London Metropolitan University her unit “are looking forward to the opportunity of enabling London to be amongst the first cities in the world to have an integrated approach to violence against women.”
On Wednesday will hold a press conference at City Hall to announce his Equalities Strategy.
In 2003 former Mayor Ken Livingstone instituted an annual awards ceremony to honour agencies and help groups who tackle domestic violence.
