Despite recent initiatives to improve women’s safety, many young women still don’t feel safe travelling around the city on their own.
Liverpool City Council have been working to improve women’s safety over the past few years.
The Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) initiative alongside the Safer Streets Merseyside campaign are just a few of the ways Merseyside is combatting these issues.
The Safer Streets Merseyside Campaign aims to help young females on the streets through a range of measures.
But although these initiatives are in place, many young women do not know about the schemes and as a result still don’t feel safe travelling around the city on their own.
Amy Okane, 21, said: “I had no idea the council was taking women’s safety so seriously.
“It’s nice to see but I haven’t experienced the benefits of these schemes myself.”
LJMU student Cara McErlean said: “I don’t feel safe if I’m alone or just with girlfriends, but if there’s boys there I feel a bit safer.”
The initiatives are helping women across the city on public transport, but many women still want more to be done about safety on the streets.
Ella Griffin said: “I wish I had known about these schemes a lot sooner as it could have helped me in loads of situations.”
Among the recent safety initiatives are:
- Enhanced Security – With improved CCTV coverage at bus stations and help points connected to emergency services, there has also been an increased police presence in order to deter crime.
- Bystander Intervention – Bus drivers and staff are receiving training to recognise and respond to potentially harmful situations, enabling them to act as “guardians” for female passengers.
- Education Initiatives – Educational programmes in schools are set to raise awareness of sexual harassment and misogyny, providing an influx of respect and responsibility in the minds of the future generations.
- The Guardian Project – In conjunction with LJMU volunteers, who are trained to help provide to support to young females in the Liverpool night-life scene. They can help women get home safely or provide emotional support to incidents.
Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell said: “Every woman and girl I speak to has a story to tell about a bad experience they’ve had when using public transport – whether it’s men sitting too close, unwanted sexual touching, or sexualised comments.”
Featured image (c) Sophia Sciolti
