In August, a team from Wellington City Council and the Wellington Alliance Against Sexual Violence (WAASV) went on a night-time hīkoi (walk) to get a better understanding of how areas of the city could contribute to feeling unsafe or for potential harm to occur. This was a follow-up to the daytime hīkoi that was done earlier in the year to see how the area could be revitalised.
The insights from the walk-throughs will guide the continued outcomes of the Pōneke Promise, a coordinated, community driven initiative to keep our city safe.
These hīkoi are part of the Sexual Violence Prevention Action Plan (SVPAP), which is focused on primary prevention – or prevention of violence before it happens, says Wellington City Council Sexual Violence Prevention Lead Jahla Lawrence.
“The SVPAP and its networks are facilitating the application of a sexual violence prevention lens on urban design changes – a key ask of the Wellington Alliance Against Sexual Violence at the 2021 LetUsLive rally.”