Make street harassment a crime, says Assembly

Two-thirds of women and girls report they have faced street harassment in the UK.

The London Assembly has today called on the Mayor to promote and sign the Our Streets Now campaign to make street harassment a crime, and encourage Londoners to sign the petition through his extensive communication channels.



Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM, who proposed the motion said:



“We live in a country where many women are not safe at home, at work, when travelling on our transport network, or even when walking down the street.”

“With a recent survey showing 41 per cent of women in London fear for their safety after being heckled or harassed and two thirds of women and girls have faced street harassment at least once, street harassment should be made a specific criminal offence, as it is in so many other European countries.

“Legislation, alongside wider work to change attitudes is needed and through supporting this motion the London Assembly has sent a powerful message that we support the Our Streets Now campaign and stand firmly against the harassment of women on our city’s streets.”



The full text of the motion is:

This Assembly is committed to making our city a safer place for everyone. This Assembly notes:

• Public sexual harassment is the most common form of violence against women and girls, restricting their freedom of movement and expression;
• That in surveys two-thirds of women and girls report they have faced street harassment in the UK;
• That street harassment in the UK is not covered by any specific offence, unlike in Portugal, Belgium and France; – That stopping street harassment would be a powerful step in tackling inequality and keeping women safe; and
• The excellent work of Our Streets Now, and their petition which has attracted over 460,000 signatures to make street harassment a specific crime.

This Assembly recognises:

• That we must work to create an environment where street harassment is seen and policed as a crime, and where women and girls feel safe on our streets;
• That anyone who is harassed must be able to feel confident that their report will be treated with the respect, care and seriousness that is required; and
• That changing the law, and education for our young people, are key planks in combating street harassment, establishing safer streets, and delivering equality.

This Assembly calls on the Mayor to:

• Promote and sign the Our Streets Now campaign to make street harassment a crime, and encourage Londoners to sign the petition through his extensive communication channels;
• Work with organisations and groups representing and supporting trans women and Black and minority ethnic women, who face higher levels of violence and harassment, to improve levels of reporting and to understand how they can better be supported;
• Write to the Home Secretary, asking her to make street harassment a specific crime; and
• Work with boroughs, the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) and the Metropolitan Police (MPS) to ensure schools, academies and colleges in the city each develop a clear policy on tackling harassment and include education around public sexual harassment as part of their Personal Social and Health Education (PSHE).