‘I want to be safe’ - Plan launched for women and girls
A campaign to improve safety for females in the Bradford district has been launched.
Bradford District’s Safety of Women and Girls (SOWG) Plan, launched at the University of Bradford, sees institutions including Bradford Council and West Yorkshire Police working together to make a difference.
According to the World Health Organisation, violence against women and girls is defined as any gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or mental; suffering to women.
The SOWG Plan started last year with a four-week public consultation period, which included work with children and young people at youth services, colleges and sessions with community groups.
Following the public consultation, the Plan aims to raise awareness and create a shift in the cultural understanding around the safety of women and girls. It also aims to align appropriate resources across early intervention and prevention of SOWG.
The SWOG Plan has four key aims; it will engage men and boys into conversations and activities to challenge negative attitudes towards women and girls.
It will work with communities to change attitudes on violence against women and girls.
The Plan will offer comprehensive education programmes on challenging sexism and misogyny to all children and young people in the Bradford district.
It will also work with police to and publicise SOWG campaigns and ways for reporting such incidents anonymously.
Other female safety initiatives taking place across the Bradford district include WalkSafe, a free phone app which can be used by anyone who is walking in the Bradford.
‘Jog On’ is a campaign where women can report to the police or council if they have felt unsafe while out running in the Bradford district. The safety of women and girls is also championed in a website which aims to make a difference.
The SWOG launch event, held on Thursday 8 August, began with a powerful short film exploring what safety means to females. It also featured the photographs of women from the Bradford district who have died as a result of violence.
A group of male youth ambassadors, known as allies, spoke about the work they are doing with young males on the safety of women and girls in the Bradford district.
Some of the female audience members stood up one at a time and each said: ‘I want to be safe’.
Professor Udy Archibong, Pro Vice-Chancellor for equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) at the University of Bradford, pictured above, was among the speakers at the launch.
West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin also spoke at the event, saying the subject of violence against women and girls should be tackled ‘head on’. She added: “Wouldn’t it be great if West Yorkshire was the safest place for women and girls.”