Harrow Council have launched a survey calling for women and girls to share information about where they may feel vulnerable or threatened within the borough.
“Whether at home or out and about, Harrow should be a place where women and girls feel safe to live, work and visit”, said the Council.
The survey is now open along with a map-based tool for residents to pinpoint physical locations in Harrow where they may feel unsafe. The tool allows participants to drop a pin on the exact places they’re referring to and answer a few questions relating to the said location.
The new initiative is part of a Harrow Council campaign to deter Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and honour their commitment to bring awareness of Domestic Abuse to the forefront of people’s minds.
In addition, the Council have added that they ‘welcome the views of all genders’ and invite anyone that lives, works, socialises or studies in Harrow to use the new heat map to alert the council to areas that may they may deem unsafe.
The Council has pledged to support the national VAWG movement and, as part of this commitment, is also bolstering its Domestic Abuse service – with Paul Osborn making a Leader’s decision to bring this back in-house.
Councillor Anjana Patel, responsible for Environment and Community Safety, said: “No one should be made to feel unsafe on our streets at any time of the day. That’s why I want to hear from the community on what we can do to help make you feel safe. Maybe this means improvements to street lighting, more CCTV cameras, or better signage.
“By collecting data on safety in public spaces from as many people as possible, we can create a constructive, community collaboration on improving spaces for women and girls – and everyone.
“We know that feeling safe can be influenced by many factors, including age, gender expression, race, ethnicity, visible religious affiliation, and expression of sexuality, as well as how dark it is and how many people are outside. We just need your help to better understand exactly what it’s like for people in our borough.
“I encourage as many people as possible to take part and have a role in helping to make Harrow’s streets safer.”
The Council added that the feedback received from the survey “will help officers better understand the concerns, perceptions and experiences of women and girls in Harrow and identify public spaces of concern, what improvements are needed and to communicate what will be done to alleviate these problems.”
You can access the survey at Have Your Say Today – Harrow Safer Spaces – Commonplace
