Haringey passes cross-party motion on protecting women

Haringey Council passed a cross party motion this evening, supported unanimously by Liberal Democrat and Labour councillors. The council pledged to help end violence against women and girls, including asking the Home Secretary to make street harassment a specific crime.

Motion

Proposed by: Cllr Dawn Barnes and Cllr Sarah Williams

Seconded by: Cllr Tammy Palmer and Cllr Kaushika Amin

Protect Women and Girls, Reclaim these Streets – Full Council

This Council notes:

• The horrific killing of Sarah Everard, last seen walking home from a friend’s house at 9pm on 3^rd March;
• That some commentators stated that women should not walk alone;
• That one woman is killed by a man every three days in the UK;
• That during Lockdown femicide has escalated;
• That domestic abuse costs society £60bn and it is estimated that £393m is needed to provide support;
• The right to protest remains lawful under Coronavirus legislation;
• That Reclaim these Streets organised a peaceful candlelight vigil in Sarah Everard’s honour in a number of public spaces, including Clapham Common;
• That street harassment in the UK is not covered by any specific offence, unlike in Portugal, Belgium and France.

This Council believes that:

• The harassment faced by women on a daily basis is unacceptable;
• We stand in solidarity with women across the country wanting to Reclaim these Streets;
• We must create an environment where street harassment is seen and policed as a crime.

This Council resolves: 

• To always champion the rights and entitlements of women and girls, from all communities across the borough of Haringey, especially those women from Black and Ethnic Minority and disabled women and girls whose deaths are often invisible in the media;
• To investigate and address the barriers that women and girls from Black and Ethnic Minority groups and women and girls with No Recourse to Public Funds face in reporting and seeking help for harassment and abuse; 
• That the Leader of the Council and Leader of the Opposition write a joint letter to the Prime Minister asking for an inquiry into the actions of the Metropolitan Police at Clapham Common;
• To endorse all efforts of women and girls to Reclaim these Streets;
• That the Council Leader and the Leader of the Opposition send a copy of this motion to Catherine West MP, Rt Hon David Lammy MP and Rt Hon Alistair Carmichael MP;
• To promote the Our Streets Now campaign to make street harassment a crime, and encourage all elected members, and residents to sign their petition;
• That the Leader of the Council and Leader of the Opposition write a joint letter to the Home Secretary to ask them to make street harassment a specific crime;
• To support Amendment 87B to the Domestic Abuse Bill to make misogyny a hate crime.

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