This Saturday, 12 July at midday, Richmond and Kingston councils will come together for the first time in a joint White Ribbon Walk to raise awareness and take a stand against violence towards women and girls (VAWG).

The walk will start at Hampton Wick Station and follow a route across Kingston Bridge into central Kingston, and it is part of the global White Ribbon campaign.

This is a movement started by men to end male violence against women, and residents are invited to walk in solidarity and learn how to be active bystanders in the fight against gender-based violence.

Councillor Katie Mansfield, White Ribbon Champion for Richmond Council and a councillor for St Margaret's & North Twickenham, says the problem of VAWG is growing at a concerning rate.

"Every three days, a woman is killed by a man in the UK," she said.

"It is pretty much pandemic level."

Richmond and Kingston councils are both White Ribbon accredited and have committed to ongoing work around prevention, awareness, and support for survivors.

The White Ribbon Walk hopes to bring the issue into the spotlight and start conversations locally.

"We've done a number of walks in almost every ward across Richmond now," explained Cllr Mansfield.

"Everybody thinks that violence against women and girls is a bad thing. But nobody really realises that it is an issue locally, it is not just this thing that is happening somewhere else."

The walk allows the public to engage with the campaign and learn how to safely intervene.

Through bystander training and conversations during the walk, participants are taught how to challenge harmful behaviours, from everyday sexism on WhatsApp to more serious forms of abuse.

"There is actually a pyramid of VAWG," said Cllr Mansfield.

"The worst is rape and murder. But to stop those you need to start at the bottom pillars of the pyramid. Sometimes it's just being on a WhatsApp group and seeing something that doesn't feel quite right and calling it out."

Saturday's walk will be the first time Richmond has teamed up with a neighbouring borough to deliver a White Ribbon event.

"It is so important that on issues like this we do not just work in isolation."

The councils are also working closely with local partners, including the police, youth councils, and sports clubs, to tackle root causes and help create change.

A serious concern is the influence of harmful online figures and content.

"Parents have been very worried about what is happening in the online world. Andrew Tate's website is so easy to reach within a few clicks, and you are in those misogynistic spaces," Cllr Mansfield said.

"We must create those role models. That's why we are looking at sports clubs. If a football or rugby coach is talking to them about attitudes towards women, it will resonate."

The walk on 12 July is open to all, starting at midday at Hampton Wick Station.

Cllr Mansfield added: "VAWG is not a female issue, this is a society issue. We are all in this together, men and women, in this battle against VAWG. We really need allies if we are going to make a big difference."

For more information about the White Ribbon Campaign, visit whiteribbon.org.uk.