Women make a ‘self-defence’ stand in Tower Hamlets Council’s awareness campaign

Self-defence classes for women are one of the events planned by Tower Hamlets Council to support ‘16 days of action against gender based violence’.

Vioence awareness campaign at Spitalfleds in December, 2016. Picture: Kois Miah - Credit: LBTH

The Victim Support charity and the Met Police have an outreach stall at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel next Wednesday and ‘women only’ self-defence classes which run until December 11.

The programme of events put on by the council’s Domestic Violence team starts today, on UN International Day of Elimination of Violence Against Women, with an information stall at the Bow Idea Store in Roman Road.

Other activities include community outreach sessions at Bow’s Albert Jacob House in Roman Road on Tuesday, 10am to 4pm, and a workshop on domestic abuse taking place at Bethnal Green health centre on Wednesday, 12.30-3.30pm, as well as coffee mornings and advice sessions about online safety.

The team is visiting Idea Stores, children’s centres, schools and places of worship over the next fortnight leading up to Human Rights Day on December 10 to raise awareness of gender-based violence.

Police deal with 4,000 calls about domestic violence every year in the East End alone, the council points out. The authority runs a domestic violence helpline on 020-7364 4986.