Letter to Editor: Women's Night Safety Charter

A Letter to Editor from Jennette Arnold OBE AM calling on venues in Hackney to adopt the Mayor of London's Women's Night Safety Charter.

Dear Editor,



London is one of the safest cities in the world, but it is unacceptable that women are still subjected to startling rates of sexual harassment and assault in the night time economy.



The facts are stark and unpalatable: almost nine in 10 victims of sexual offences are female and, on average, 11 women and girls are raped or sexually assaulted in each of the 32 boroughs in our capital every week.



It is clear that we must take stringent and urgent action to address this, and this is why I welcome the establishment by the Mayor of the Women’s Night Safety Charter, as part of his Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy.



The Charter is the first of its kind setting out guidance for venues, operators, charities, councils and businesses to improve safety at night for women. This includes improved training of staff, encouraging the reporting of harassment, and ensuring public spaces are safe.



Encouragingly, we have seen a number of venues sign up to the Charter across London, to do their part to help significantly lower the risk of crime against women, when they are working or enjoying a night out.



I now urge all venues in Hackney to come together and adopt the Charter, to ensure that all women can feel safe in our vibrant local night-time economy.



Yours,

Jennette Arnold OBE AM