The Mayor of London has announced a major new strategy backed by more than £37 million of investment to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG), including a pioneering £15.6 million fund that will empower women and girls to help redesign public spaces across the capital.
Sadiq Khan described violence against women and girls as "a disgrace that shames us all" as he launched the new strategy, which aims to address emerging threats including online abuse, tech-enabled violence and the growing influence of misogynistic content online.
The announcement builds on a record £318 million investment in tackling VAWG since Khan became Mayor, funding programmes designed to prevent abuse, support victims and survivors, and hold perpetrators to account.
At the heart of the strategy is a new £15.6 million fund, delivered through a partnership between City Hall, the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) and Transport for London (TfL).
The initiative will enable local authorities to work directly with women and girls to identify safety concerns and influence the design of parks, streets, transport links and community spaces. Potential improvements include enhanced lighting, additional CCTV coverage, the removal of hidden areas and redesigning public spaces to improve visibility and accessibility.
The programme builds on a successful pilot carried out in five London boroughs during 2024, where women and girls helped shape local safety improvements through place-based design projects.
Research continues to show widespread concern about personal safety in public spaces. Across the UK, 86 per cent of women and girls aged between 18 and 24 report experiencing harassment in public settings, while Londoners are more likely to feel unsafe in town centres, nightlife venues, parks and on public transport than in workplaces or their homes.
Alongside the public realm investment, the strategy includes a series of new initiatives aimed at tackling the changing nature of abuse and violence.
Funding allocations include:
- £6 million to combat the rise of technology-enabled abuse, including harassment facilitated through social media, smartphones and connected devices.
- £6 million for a third round of the Mayor’s VAWG Grassroots Fund, supporting community organisations providing counselling, legal advice and specialist services.
- £3 million for a new specialist programme helping survivors build skills and access employment, reducing financial dependence on abusers.
- £3 million for the Violence Reduction Unit to address online harms affecting young people and challenge misogynistic influences through mentoring, education and community programmes.
- £2.4 million to strengthen support for victims and survivors of child sexual exploitation and grooming.
- £1 million to tackle online hate and misogyny through public awareness campaigns and educational initiatives promoting positive role models.
- £100,000 to extend the Mayor’s independent legal advice pilot for survivors of sexual violence.
The Mayor said the strategy builds on previous work that has helped improve rape investigations and prosecutions, increased the proportion of women who feel safe walking alone after dark in their local area, and strengthened prevention and early intervention efforts through London's Violence Reduction Unit.
The new framework focuses on three priorities: preventing violence before it occurs, improving support for victims and survivors, and ensuring perpetrators are identified and held accountable.
The strategy launch took place in East London, where women and girls have already helped influence the design of safer public spaces. Features introduced through the project include improved lighting, open sight lines, managed landscaping and designated safe spaces designed to increase confidence and encourage community use.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said:
“My goal as Mayor is to make every woman and girl in London safer – and feel safer – in our city, which is why I have overseen a record-breaking £318m to tackle VAWG, addressing its root causes and supporting victims.
“We have seen real progress from this work, but the epidemic of violence against women and girls is a global disgrace that shames us all. What so many women and girls have had to endure and continue to endure is unacceptable, and every aspect of society has a part to play in changing this.
“That’s why I have launched a new strategy to accelerate our efforts and adapt to the changing threats that women face online, at home and on our streets. This includes a first-ever new fund that will see us work with women and girls to help transform public spaces across our capital. By giving a voice to women and girls who know their local areas best, we can work with local authorities to make these spaces safer and more welcoming at all times of day.
“Despite the challenges, VAWG truly is preventable and I am committed to working with the government, the Met, charities, as well as local, national and global partners, to ensure that every woman and girl can participate fully in the life of our great city, without experiencing or fearing harassment, abuse or violence.”
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