Hertfordshire has launched its first-ever county-wide partnership strategy aimed at tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG), alongside a new media charter encouraging responsible reporting of these crimes.

The strategy was officially launched at an event in Stevenage earlier this month, bringing together local councils, police, partner organisations, survivors and members of the media to strengthen the county's response to violence against women and girls.

The new approach has been shaped by survivor voices, with more than 40 survivors consulted during the development process, alongside feedback from more than 3,000 Hertfordshire residents.

A key part of the launch was the introduction of a new VAWG Communications Charter, developed with survivors, which calls on media and communications professionals to report incidents involving violence against women and girls in a responsible, accurate and sensitive way.

The partnership says the charter is designed to improve public understanding of VAWG while recognising the impact reporting can have on survivors, families and communities.

Hertfordshire County Council said the strategy marks a "major step forward" in improving safety for women and girls across the county.

Alongside the partnership strategy, Hertfordshire Constabulary is also launching its own dedicated VAWG strategy to strengthen joint working between agencies.

VAWG covers a wide range of offences including domestic abuse, stalking, sexual violence, coercive control, honour-based abuse and harassment. Hertfordshire Police said women and girls remain disproportionately affected by these crimes and that tackling them is now considered one of the most serious public safety issues facing the country.

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The county already has a number of local initiatives aimed at improving women's safety, including the Women and Girls Safety Charter introduced in North Herts last year, which works with venues to improve safety in the night-time economy.

Residents wanting to find out more about the new strategy and communications charter can contact Hertfordshire County Council via [email protected].