Safety campaign at transport hubs furthers Commissioner’s commitment to reducing violence against women and girls
The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner is continuing to challenge unacceptable standards of behaviour towards women and girls through a public safety campaign at more transport hubs.
Danielle Stone is spotlighting preventing harassment and sexual assault through It Only Takes One, to educate the public on what unacceptable behaviour can look like and how to combat it.
New awareness posters have been put up at Northampton’s North Gate Bus Station and Stagecoach Midlands has displayed posters on 160 of their Northamptonshire buses, and in depots.
The advertising campaign has also had a presence at Northampton and Wellingborough railway stations to tackle attitudes and inappropriate behaviours.
This work forms part of Danielle’s wider ambition to tackle violence against women and girls and empower bystanders to have the confidence to challenge perpetrators and offer support to victims.
Danielle said: “I want all women and girls who live in Northamptonshire to not only be safe but to feel safe. Women should be able to live confidently, without feeling intimidated or harassed.
“Their safety and wellbeing are everyone’s business, and the responsibility lies with all of us to call out problematic behaviour, not just those affected by it.
“I hope this campaign goes further to challenge the cultural landscape in public spaces while my other longstanding campaign, the Northamptonshire Women’s Charter, aims to challenge employers in this county to build workplaces that are equal and respectful.”
Mark Whitelocks, Managing Director of Stagecoach Midlands, added: “We are very proud to be taking part in this initiative. A recent study by the National Centre for Social Research has highlighted how safe buses are for passengers – with over 99% never experiencing any type of abuse at all, but we are still determined to do everything we can to make buses even safer. This led us to sign up to the Northamptonshire Women’s Charter earlier this month.
“Initiatives like this play an essential role in ensuring that everyone is able to access all the opportunities that our great region have to offer.”
The Northamptonshire Women’s Charter now has 128 signatories who have signed up to make working environments safer for their staff.
As part of a new offer, Danielle is gearing up to launch her Women’s Charter Champions in November.
It’s a voluntary role for dedicated people to step in and be a listening ear at work when something doesn’t feel right.
Each Champion will have five online courses to take and will have access to a real-life specialist to help feel supported.
To help build a county where women and girls know their safety is a priority, sign up to the Women’s Charter today on the Commissioner’s website.