Sussex Police work tirelessly to catch and remove predatory criminals from our streets and our trusted service providers give invaluable support for victims, survivors and families of those who experience male violence. My pledge to all women in our county is that I will continue to prioritise ending male violence against women and girls, working closely with our Chief Constable and my own Victim Services Team. It is vital that all women's voices are heard, that we feel safe and are protected in and outside of our homes.
Yesterday (25 November) marked White Ribbon Day and International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls.
Violence against women and girls remains one of the most prevalent crimes across the world. Globally, an estimated 736 million women — almost one in three — have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both, at least once in their life.
This year White Ribbon are encouraging men to hold themselves accountable to women and to each other, to affect positive behaviour change to transform harmful cultures.
In 2024, my office received Supporter Organisation Status after helping Sussex Police to achieve White Ribbon Status over the last decade.
To mark the day, my Head of Victim Services/Commissioning, held a training session for the team reminding them of the seven promises made when we received Supporter Organisation Status. This included encouraging staff members to wear a White Ribbon and make the promise to never use, excuse or remain silent about violence against women and girls.
We've also run a training session on the Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Act, providing all colleagues with the tools to challenge any poor behaviour if they ever witness or experience it.
I remain resolutely committed to eradicating all violence against women and girls and to driving out male violence and misogyny in our county. I was enormously proud when Sussex Police became the first force in England and Wales to receive White Ribbon status.
In Sussex, there are a number of high-quality service providers who work 365 days a year to keep women and girls safe and offer support to those who have experienced any form of violence.
You can read a history of how we've been tackling this in Sussex here: https://new.express.adobe.com/webpage/qyWv5MAGPfK0R
