Businesses asked to sign up to Women’s Night Safety Charter

Newham businesses that operate at night are being asked to sign up to a new Women’s Night Safety Charter.

The request is part of the newly launched Women’s Night Safety Charter, which aims to make London a place for women to feel safe and confident.

Newham Council has signed up to the charter to play its part in ensuring London is a city where all women feel safe and welcome at night.

Cllr James Beckles, Cabinet Member for Crime and Community Safety, who launched the charter to businesses at a recent virtual event, said:

“We must all play our part in making sure women and girls feel safe in our borough. We want all businesses in Newham to sign up to the Charter. By working together we can provide businesses that women and girls feel safe at, can confide in if they are harassed or at threat, and will be more likely to visit often.

“A business signing up to this charter sends a clear message that they will not tolerate sexual harassment, intimidation or violence at their venue. By signing up, it will discourage potential perpetrators from doing so and prevent these behaviours taking place at your venue or premises.

“By empowering your staff to take a zero tolerance approach to sexual harassment and violence it will help to challenge problematic attitudes towards women and encourage your patrons to think about their behaviour.”

Newham Council is asking all organisations and businesses that operate at night in the borough to sign-up to some simple pledges:

  • Nominate a champion in your organisation or business who actively promotes women’s night safety
  • Demonstrate to staff and customers that your organisation or business takes women’s safety at night seriously, for example through a communications campaign
  • Remind customers and staff that London is safe, but tell them what to do if they experience harassment when working, going out or travelling
  • Encourage reporting by victims and bystanders as part of your communications campaign
  • Train staff to ensure that all women who report are believed
  • Train staff to ensure that all reports are recorded and responded to
  • Design your public spaces and work places to make them safer for women at night

Businesses can sign up to the Charter on the London.gov.uk website

On the website businesses can find a toolkit which offers simple ideas, inspiration, information and resources to help organisations meet the seven pledges. The website gives advice on possible courses of action, some changes that may need to be made and how organisations can upskill their staff.

Newham businesses who intend to sign up to the Charter are asked to let us know about their involvement by emailing Lisa Hooper, Community Safety Manager at lisa.hooper@newham.gov.uk 

Published: 23 Dec 2021