Greater Manchester plan to tackle abuse of women unveiled

Mr Burnham said the plan was "deliberately brought forward" following Ms Everard's "tragic death"

A strategy to tackle violence and abuse aimed at women in Greater Manchester has been unveiled by the area's mayor.

Andy Burnham said the 10-year plan had been "deliberately brought forward" because of the "huge" public reaction to the "tragic death" of Sarah Everard.

He said he wanted the area's "streets, workplaces, schools, universities and homes... to be safe for every woman".

It will see police record misogyny as a hate crime and public space protection orders used to tackle harassment.

A spokesman for the mayor said Greater Manchester Combined Authority will introduce a board, which will include survivors of gender-based abuse as co-chairs, to oversee the strategy.

'Enough is enough'

Its first priority will be to review how domestic abuse cases are handled by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) in light of its damning inspection report by the police watchdog on the service it provided to victims of crime.

"During this year... we will carry out a public consultation on how to effectively introduce the recording of misogynistic incidents by GMP, in the same way as they record racist and homophobic incidents," the spokesman said.

"This will ensure that abuse that is aggravated by misogyny is fully investigated and victims of it are offered the same protections as those afforded to all hate crime victims."

Mr Burnham said he wanted "every woman and girl to be safe"

He said the wider strategy would take "a whole-system approach" to tackling abuse, which would include challenging "how men and boys think about and treat women and girls" and how authority services, such as the criminal justice system, educational establishments and housing providers, could use "a gender and trauma-informed approach".

He added that "on a practical level", the plan would include "funding for specific services and projects, training and development for frontline staff and targeted public engagement campaigns".

It also will see an emergency contact system introduced on public transport, so passengers in danger can alert police discreetly and local authorities supported to use public space protection orders "that protect women and girls from harassment and abuse".

Deputy Mayor Bev Hughes said abuse was "pervasive in our everyday life, from walking down a street and being called names because of how you are dressed, or being followed, or being threatened or being attacked".

Urging people to consider the strategy and give feedback "to help us get it right" before it goes to full consultation in May, she added: "Enough is enough."

Several other forces in England and Wales have introduced their own misogyny hate crime policies.

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