Victims of sexual assault and harassment are being encouraged to log their ordeals on an interactive map to “reclaim” Croydon’s streets.

The Women’s Equality Party (WEP) this week launched its #WEcount campaign, which aims to highlight rising sexual violence across London by identifying locations where victims are targeted.

There were 302 rapes, 424 sexual offences and 3,862 domestic violence cases reported in Croydon last year, according to Metropolitan Police figures.

Across London, reports of rape have risen from 4,986 to 5,427 in the last two years and sexual offences have increased from 9,215 to 10,477.

The campaign is asking women to post photos of their hands on social media, showing a postcode or place where they experienced sexual harassment, assault or verbal abuse using the hashtag #WEcount.

Gill Manly, Croydon’s WEP branch leader, said the campaign was designed to let women know advice and help was available.

She added: “By using these campaigns and raising awareness hopefully in 30 years’ time we won’t need to be having these discussions.

“We aren’t just working for you and me – we are working for a whole world of girls.

“This is about letting women know that if something happens, however big or small, that there is help and that they are allowed to deal with it and go to the relevant authority and group to assist them.

“Not everyone has access to the right information and that is a struggle that we need to overcome as women to help our fellow sisters in getting them to understand what is acceptable and what isn’t.

“We need to say to them that if it feels wrong then it probably is wrong.”

Ms Manly said efforts to tackle sexual crimes needed to “start at home” through “educating children about acceptable behaviour”.

She added: “There is still, unfortunately, an old fashioned school of thought in certain circles, like ‘she was wearing a short skirt so she was asking for it’, and in my mind that is so dinosaur it is terrifying.

“I believe that a woman should express herself in the way that she dresses and not be worried that it could result in some kind of violent sexual act, however that relies upon men in our society knowing how to conduct themselves.

“Equality for women will only ever happen, in my personal view, when men are educated equally in the way of how to behave towards women.”

WEP’s mayoral candidate Sophie Walker said: “Thousands more women experience unwanted sexual behaviour every day, from groping to catcalling – and none of this is news.

“WEP will show that women all over London are affected by these events every day – and that every one of us counts. That is why we chose the hashtag #WEcount.”

To add a digital pin to the map visit www.wemap.org.

Women can also report their experience via email to WEcount@womensequality.emailnb.com to have the location posted anonymously.