The Mayor of London has announced over £37m in funding to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls, with a new strategy driven by two years of input from UCL’s Gender and Tech Research Lab.
Research from UCL highlighted that technology-facilitated abuse is “too often reduced to online abuse”, with data and insights helping shape the strategy.
A key focus of the strategy is improving safety in public spaces, with £15.6m allocated to improve the safety of public spaces, a key concern for many students navigating London.
The Mayor toured around Marshgate, praising its safety measures which includes “ambient lighting, strong sightlines and the numbered lamppost system that can help visitors identify their location quickly if assistance is required.”
The strategy also pledges to involve people with lived experience to be involved in the design of solutions to help ensure they are effective, with Khan speaking to a domestic abuse survivor at the launch.
The Mayor said, “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.”
UCL academics praised the strategy with Dr Leonie Tanczer, Head of the Gender and Tech Research Lab saying “It makes me incredibly proud to see years of our research translate into real policy change.”
The Gender and Tech Research Lab hosted a landmark Tech Abuse Conference at City Hall in May, with researchers highlighting to the Mayor how hidden devices can be used to stalk, monitor and harass victims.
This marks the latest in a number of senior Labour Party figures visiting UCL East to make policy announcements, having previously hosted former PM Keir Starmer and Work & Pensions Minister Pat McFadden.
In a statement UCL claimed the event “highlighted the growing role of UCL East as a place where academic expertise, public policy and civic action come together to address the challenges facing London and cities around the world.”