VULNERABLE young women and girls should be prioritised under devolution plans, a coalition of Essex MPs has said.
Pam Cox, Labour MP for Colchester, and Marie Goldman, Lib Dem MP for Chelmsford, hosted an event in Chelmsford alongside a domestic abuse charity.
It comes as the government has announced a £4.45 million funding boost so domestic abuse survivors in Essex can access support faster.
Criminal justice charity Advance brought together professionals to discuss how devolution could better support vulnerable young women.
Mrs Goldman said: "Anything that puts tackling violence against women and girls on the agenda is a positive thing, and it’s great to see so many people coming together.
"This event was the perfect chance to talk about how we can work together to tackle violence against women and girls, and how to do so in the context of devolution, with a new mayor of Essex and potentially new unitary councils on the horizon."
Mrs Goldman says it would be "wrong to disengage" with the government's plans to transfer power to local authorities.
"Change will come and with it new challenges, but also many opportunities," she added.
"One of those is the chance to refocus and renew our efforts to support young women and girls in our schools and communities."
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The meeting, held at the County Hotel in Rainsford, gathered professionals from criminal justice, youth services, and other sectors to discuss how devolution could improve outcomes for young women across Essex.
Liz Mack, chief executive of Advance, said: "Today marks the beginning of something ambitious: bringing together partners from across sectors to build a shared manifesto for a devolved Essex that truly works for girls and young women.
"By creating a coalition of leaders, practitioners, communities and young people, we have an opportunity to ensure that girls and young women are placed at the forefront of decision-making from the very start, designed with them in mind."
Advance supports girls and young women aged 13 to 24 who have experienced domestic abuse, working with children’s services and through specialist advocates.
The charity says young women are almost three times as likely to experience a common mental health issue as men of the same age.
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