The Mayor of London has announced £15.6 million of funding to work with women and girls to improve safety in public spaces.
The fund will be a collaboration between City Hall, the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) and Transport for London (TfL) and will provide support to local authorities to make public spaces safer, using the experience of women and girls who know their area best to help in the design of parks, streets and other areas in their communities.
This could include better lighting and CCTV, removing blind spots and opening up spaces to make places feel safer, more inclusive and better used by a wider range of people.
The announcement builds on a trial from 2024, where MOPAC and TfL worked with women and girls across five boroughs to better understand their safety issues and how their experience could promote better design in the future.
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.”
Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Kaya Comer-Schwartz said: “All women should be safe, and feel safe, to go about their lives at all times of day and night, and online. That’s why we continue to work closely with partners to deliver bold and innovative programmes that make a real difference for women and girls in our capital, including the work we're doing to empower women to shape London's public spaces. In developing this new strategy we have listened carefully to the experiences of women and girls to help us go further than ever before and I’m proud that we will be working with them to make our public spaces safer. Over the next three years, we will continue to do all we can to prevent VAWG by tackling its underlying causes, holding perpetrators to account and ensuring victims and survivors are supported.”
Elsewhere, the government has joined forces with the police and music industry to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).
People attending Reading and Leeds Festival saw messaging raising awareness of abusive behaviours displayed.
The messaging recached hundreds of thousands of attendees, highlighted examples of abusive behaviours and encouraged those whose actions may cause harm to reflect on their own behaviour.
The campaign was also visible at other events over the summer, including Latitude festival.
The government has partied with Festival Republic and is working with Thames Valley Police and West Yorkshire Police to ensure abuse is challenged and everyone plays a role in making women and girls safe.
Minister for Safeguarding and Violence against Women and Girls, Satvir Kaur said: "Violence against women and girls devastates lives and we are determined to halve this issue in a decade.
"To succeed in this mission, we must drive change in every arena of our society. By speaking directly to young men and women at Reading and Leeds, highlighting examples of abusive behaviours that too often go unrecognised, we can help drive that change.
"This is just one step as we continue the vital work of making this country safe for women and girls."
Minister for Women and Equalities, Bridget Phillipson, said: "Challenging violence against women and girls and misogynistic views is everyone’s business.
"We all have a part to play in calling it out, and the ENOUGH campaign as part of festival season is an important step in stamping out behaviour that is too often normalised.
"Halving violence against women and girls is one of this government’s key commitments, and from calling out misogyny to using the full force of the law, we will use every lever available to keep women and girls safe."
Meanwhile, the Met Police have said that everyone has a role to play in tackling VAWG after a man was convicted of attempted rape.
The force praised a security team at Canary Wharf, who stepped in to stop the attempted rape in March this year.
Syed Imam was found guilty of attempted rape on Thursday, July 2, 2026, following a four-day trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court. He has now been sentenced to six years in prison.
The security team observed Imam acting suspiciously while on patrol and swiftly intervened when they saw him forcibly assaulting a vulnerable woman. They detained him and alerted offices who made an arrest within half an hour of the assault.
The Met is calling for more joint actions to help tackle violence against women and girls.
Detective Constable Madeleine Powell said: “This case shows the important role everyone has to play in tackling violence against women and girls. If security staff at Canary Wharf had not bravely intervened, this violent offender could still be walking our streets, and the victim may have suffered even more harm than she already has.
“Everyone has a part to play in the joint action needed to protect women and girls and report concerning behaviour when they see it – you will be listened to and we will take action.
“I am proud of our officers who worked at an incredible pace to arrest Imam and present a compelling case, helping us to get justice for the victim and protect the public.”
