West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin has promised the safety of women and girls will be "at the heart" of her forthcoming Police and Crime plan.
Speaking on International Women's Day, her and Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Alison Lowe said West Yorkshire rates for rape, domestic abuse and sexual abuse being taken to court were still "not good enough".
Brabin and Lowe are hoping to improve the safety for women and girls in Leeds and West Yorkshire with the plan.
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Lowe told LeedsLive: "I love being a woman but it does come with challenges. I've talked very openly about my own lived experience with rape and domestic abuse and these are challenges that many people have to endure across the world.
"It's important that as women we are sisters coming together and supporting each other through these difficult times.
Lowe said that only 9.5% of recorded rapes in West Yorkshire end up going to court.
"That means over 90% of recorded rapes don't end up in the court," she added.
"Nationally it's 1.3% going to court, which is even worse. We know that domestic abuse is a huge issue here in West Yorkshire and that's something our police and crime plan will be addressing. But we also know violence against women and girls is a cradle to grave issue so women can experience risks from sometimes known men and sometimes strangers.
"We need to create a space where women are safe and also where we're helping men to understand that they can be allies - that they can be part of the solution - because the vast majority of men here in West Yorkshire are amazing and want to be part of the solution.
"They're living in our communities too and we want them to be active in our communities instead of bystanders to support and create safe spaces women deserve."
Brabin and Lowe spent International Women's Day at Bad Company Thai Boxing Gym in Burmantofts with Olympic hero Nicola Adams, talking to local girls and encourage them to aspire to success like Adams'.
Parts of Burmantofts and Richmond Hill near the gym are in the top 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in the country, according to the 2019 Indices of Multiple Deprivation.
Brabin told LeedsLive: "Well this week are launching our police and crime plan. When I was standing for election and then became the first ever woman Metro Mayor we spoke about this - we've put the safety of women and girls at the heart of that plan - whether that's about transport, whether that's about housing, whether that's about skills training.
"So for example we're putting £6m into Skills Connect, £6m for entrepreneurs - and I've made sure 50% of those opportunities go to women and 20% go to people of colour, 3% go to people who define themselves as disabled. I can do that because I have the power, the money and the mandate from the people of West Yorkshire to make a difference."
Nicola, Brabin and Lowe led a boxing workshop in partnership with Leeds Beckett with girls at the gym and gave the girls the chance to ask Nicola questions.
Both Lowe and Nicola are from East Leeds, where the workshop was held.
"One of the big things that the mayor's police and crime plan is women and girls but also early intervention and prevention," Lowe said.
"If we can build the resilience and capacity of our young people, particularly our young girls, who we know can be really vulnerable in this sometimes very wicked world then that is a massive plus. So we want to build the capacity of those girls but also build the hope and the aspiration of those girls by seeing this wonderful woman Nicola Adams who is from East Leeds as am I.
"She's won everything she's set out to win and it's great that a local hero is coming back so young people in Leeds can say 'if I can see it I can be it'."
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The full Police and Crime Plan for West Yorkshire will be unveiled on Thursday, March 10 during a whole week of International Women's Day events.
Brabin added: "What a great start to have Nicola Adams come here with a whole group of young girls to inspire them onto the next stage of their life.
"It's amazing to be a woman. Being a woman in leadership, a woman in politics, being a mother, being a wife, all of these things, being a member of parliament, and also being an actor and a writer - it's a real privilege to have our stories told. and it's a real honour. And that's what we're saying - the world is your oyster, all you have to do is reach."
You can see the full list of events for International Women's Week in West Yorkshire here.
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