13/10/2026
📯FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SUPPORTING SPECIALIST VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS SERVICES AND STANDING IN SOLIDARITY AGAINST THE WEAPONISATION OF MALE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS - COUNCILLOR KEMAL ÇUFOĞLU
"COLCHESTER, UK — The people of Colchester are compassionate and, despite today’s challenges, continue to strive for the best for their community. Home to nationally recognised specialist organisations and vibrant community groups, Colchester’s history and identity are rooted in unity, kindness, and mutual support.
However, as highlighted by the End Violence Against Women (EVAW) Coalition, vital efforts to end Male Violence Against Women and Girls (MVAWG) are increasingly being co-opted by anti-migration narratives. These divisive rhetorics harm survivors, fragment communities, and divert crucial attention away from the root causes of gender-based violence. Evidence consistently demonstrates that over 90% of perpetrators are known to their victims, and that male violence against women and girls occurs across all socio-economic, age, and ethnic backgrounds.
Despite this reality, Essex County Council’s (ECC) 'Operation Vanguard' is siphoning £150,000 from budgets that could otherwise support specialist support services and the Community Safety Partnership. Instead, these funds are being allocated to hire six security operatives who possess no enforcement powers. Furthermore, the scheme was launched without meaningful consultation with migrant-support charities, specialist women’s organisations, local police, or local authorities, and relies on an Equality and Risk Impact Assessment that failed to explore its impact on racialised and migrant communities. Hijacking critical conversations surrounding the prevention of MVAWG to target migrant communities directly undermines the invaluable work of specialist frontline organisations.
As a Ward Councillor representing the City Centre, and with the united support of my ward colleagues, I have proactively engaged with 15 local organisations supporting women, survivors of domestic abuse, victims of MVAWG, and migrant communities.
On Wednesday, 14th October, I will present a motion to Colchester City Council titled: 'Specialist Violence Against Women and Girls Services and Standing in Solidarity Against the Weaponisation of Male Violence Against Women and Girls’. This community-shaped motion is grounded in a 2025 open letter backed by the EVAW Coalition and over 100 women’s rights groups, which explicitly warns against the racist weaponisation of violence against women and girls. Incorporating key guidance and reflective insights, the motion offers constructive dialogue while recognising shared principles around creating safer streets for all women and girls. Crucially, it also highlights the real-world impact that current political rhetoric and policy decisions have on asylum seekers and racialised people.
This motion stands as a strong, clear and compassionate appeal to Essex County Council to:
✅ Revoke Operation Vanguard and Co-produce a comprehensive, human-rights-based MVAWG strategy in direct partnership with frontline women’s charities and community groups.
✅ Increase investment into specialist MVAWG support services.
✅ Urge both the Prime Minister and the Leader of ECC to demonstrate decisive leadership in countering misinformation surrounding MVAWG and migration.
Supporting women and girls while opposing the scapegoating of migrant communities are not competing objectives and as elected representatives with a fundamental duty of care towards every resident of our city, we can—and must—do both."
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