'Plymouth needs to do more to tackle violence against women and girls' warns bishop
Bishop James Grier has been speaking as the city council is discussing a report this afternoon
The Bishop of Plymouth says more needs to be done to tackle violence against women and girls in the city.
It comes as the council is today discussing what actions it can take - as an internal report warns it's not using data to track whether attitudes are changing locally.
Bishop James Grier says he's worried about the rise of the so-called 'manosphere' on the internet, adding: "We're now seeing the backlash of that, around how some blokes struggle with their identity and struggle with being branded as toxic and feeling undervalued and who are they? That can lead back into the violence and anti-social behaviour.
"Plymouth has been amazing at engaging in violence against women and girls (VAWG), when I first became Bishop, the Lord Mayor at the time it was one of her top agenda items. It was wonderful that at that time Argyle, the police and the fire service came together and did a video challenging blokes on banter and on engagement.
"We've got to address the way that women are disadvantaged in vulnerability around violence but also in all sorts of other ways - but we're now seeing the backlash of that.”
Plymouth City Council already has a dedicated team who work with partners to tackle violence against women and girls.
The report today warns by updating its strategy 'this approach will support equality of opportunity in several ways, including creating safe environments where individuals are able to pursue education, employment and personal growth without fear of violence or harassment'.
It also adds: "Data-Driven Decision Making: Integrating primary prevention into policy development allows for the collection and analysis of data related to VAWG.
"This data can inform targeted interventions and track progress over time, ensuring that strategies remain effective and relevant."