Melksham councillors lead campaign on violence against women and girls

Melksham councillors have led a campaign for Wiltshire to recognise violence against women and girls as a national emergency. 

The campaign, led by Melksham East councillor Jennie Westbrook and supported by Melksham Forest councillor Charlie Stokes, was unanimously backed by Wiltshire Council on 21st July, after several female councillors shared their own experiences of violence and abuse during an emotional debate.

Cllr Westbrook said she brought the campaign forward after seeing the scale of the issue nationally and wanted to highlight that the issue also affects communities across Wiltshire.

She said, “The most important thing is that we were able to recognise that honestly, violence against women and girls happens everywhere, including in places like Wiltshire.

“You ask any woman and they’ve got a story. Even if it’s not about them, they know someone whose life has been affected by this.”

During the debate, councillors from across Wiltshire spoke about the impact of violence against women and girls, with several female councillors sharing their own experiences of violence and abuse.

Cllr Westbrook said, “This is the everyday reality for too many women and girls, who change their behaviour because of somebody else’s actions. Women grip our keys between our fingers as we walk, we share our locations before getting into taxis and we send the ‘I’m home safe’ message.

“Most heartbreakingly of all, girls learn these precautions long before reaching secondary school.”

Cllr Charlie Stokes spoke publicly about being raped, telling the chamber that being believed and supported had been the start of her recovery. Her speech was followed by councillors standing to applaud.

She said, “Women are not just taught from childhood how to avoid becoming victims of crime. We are taught how to avoid being raped. If we fail to name the problem, we fail to tackle the problem.

“Danger to women does not always come from strangers. It often comes from people they know and trust. I know that personally. Violence against women and girls is not something that happened to somebody else, it happened to me. As a survivor, one of the greatest fears we carry is not just what happened to us, it is a fear that we won’t be believed. It’s a fear that we won’t be supported and that people will look away because this conversation is uncomfortable.

“Let’s be the council that says that if you come forward, you will be believed, you will be supported and you will not face it alone. When I was raped, being supported was the start of my recovery.”

Cllr Westbrook said she hopes the changes will encourage more victims to come forward and give them confidence they will be listened to and believed.

She said, “The most important thing is making sure that women recognise that there are places for them to go and that they don’t need to be afraid.

“Wiltshire Council and the partner organisations will take everything seriously when people talk to them and that they will be believed. That’s a really big issue, that they don’t think they’re going to be believed.”

The decision will see a dedicated councillor champion appointed to help drive awareness, support partnership working and ensure violence against women and girls remains a priority across Wiltshire Council.

The champion will work with council services, partner agencies, community organisations and residents to promote action to prevent violence, support victims and survivors and challenge behaviours that contribute to abuse and harm.

Cllr Westbrook said, “I’m really looking forward to seeing what our Member Champion does to make sure the council and all the partner organisations are working together to make sure that we are really moving things forward in terms of bringing more attention to the situation and also making sure that men particularly understand that this is not something that we can do without their help and that they’ve got as big a part to play in ending this epidemic of violence against women and girls.”

The appointment comes against a backdrop of growing national concern about violence against women and girls, with the National Police Chiefs’ Council describing it as a “national emergency” following a significant rise in offences recorded by police in recent years.