Researchers and partners across Plymouth have been awarded funding to help them understand the most effective ways to reduce and prevent male violence against women and girls in the city.
A new PenARC-supported project led by the University of Plymouth and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, will see collaborative working with Devon and Cornwall Police, Plymouth City Council, health services and charities.
It will be conducted in three phases and it is hoped the project will in turn pave the way for future research to tackle violence against women and girls in the city (VAWG).
Firstly, it will identify the priorities of organisations who support victims and survivors of VAWG, as well as those who commit VAWG and the general public, including people from traditionally marginalised groups. The project team will then map the work already being done and what needs to be done to tackle VAWG in Plymouth.
Finally, they will develop priority project teams consisting of police, partner organisations, the public and researchers to develop projects to address the priority areas and current gaps in work being done to address VAWG in Plymouth.
The project builds on the work of the Plymouth VAWG Commission, which published a report in May 2022 that made a series of recommendations around tackling male violence against women and girls.
Senior Research Fellow Dr Lynne Callaghan worked as part of the VAWG Commission and is leading the new project.
She said: “We are extremely pleased to have been awarded this funding. It will enable us to work alongside the Police, partner agencies and the public in Plymouth to strengthen existing partnerships and develop vital research. It will ultimately mean we can understand areas of importance in tackling male violence against women and girls, and develop new projects to reduce and prevent it in our city.”
The project was formally launched last week at an event as part of the national Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Festival of Social Science.