About the Women and Girls Safety Charter

Bracknell Forest has launched a new Women and Girls Safety Charter to help make local places, services and organisations even safer and more welcoming for women and girls. Alongside this, we have launched a Women and Girls Safety Charter toolkit to help organisations put the charter's principles into everyday practice.

The charter sets out a shared commitment to preventing and responding to violence, harassment, intimidation and abuse. It is for groups that want to take practical action to: 

• improve safety
• challenge harmful behaviour
• support people who may be affected

The charter is for: 

• organisations
• businesses
• public services
• community groups 

What the charter aims to address

The charter supports action to prevent and respond to issues. This includes:

• sexual harassment and intimidation
• domestic abuse and coercive control
• sexual violence and exploitation
• stalking and obsessive behaviour
• public space harassment and safety issues
• online abuse and digital misogyny
• harmful practices and gender-based abuse
• everyday misogyny and sexist behaviour
• organisational failures to prevent, challenge or respond to violence against women and girls (VAWG)
• unsafe practices in the night-time economy
• victim blaming and normalisation of abuse
• abuse facilitated through alcohol or drugs
• child sexual exploitation and grooming
• trafficking and exploitation of women and girls
• failure to report, intervene early, challenge harmful behaviour or safeguard appropriately

Why this matters

Everyone should be able to live, work, study, travel and socialise without fear of harassment, abuse or violence. 

By signing the charter, organisations can show that they are committed to: 

• creating safer environments
• improving reporting
• supporting victims
• promoting respect and equality across Bracknell Forest

The charter pledges

Organisations that sign the charter are asked to support the following pledges:

1. Commit to the charter: Support the aims of the Women and Girls Safety Charter and embed its principles in your organisation.
2. Take a zero-tolerance approach: Make clear that harassment, abuse, intimidation, discrimination and unwanted behaviour towards women and girls are not acceptable.
3. Design safety in: Consider safety and inclusion when planning spaces, services, events, communications and day-to-day operations.
4. Offer support and safe spaces: Provide or promote access to appropriate support, signposting and safeguarding for anyone who feels vulnerable or unsafe.
5. Build awareness and confidence: Encourage training and culture change so staff, volunteers and partners can recognise, prevent and respond to harmful behaviour.
6. Encourage allyship and shared responsibility: Support active allyship which challenges harmful attitudes and promotes respectful relationships. 
7. Make reporting clear: Promote trusted and accessible ways for women and girls to report concerns or incidents and know they will be listened to.
8. Be accountable: Review practice, learn from feedback and incidents, and be open about action being taken to improve safety and inclusion.
9. Put victims first: Respond with dignity, respect, confidentiality and without judgement, giving people choice and support wherever possible.

What signing up involves

The charter has 2 parts:

1. A public pledge: a visible commitment showing that your organisation supports the purpose and vision of the charter.
2. An implementation toolkit: practical guidance to help signatories put the charter pledges into action.

There is no cost to sign up.

How to sign up

Use our online form to sign up. 

Sign up to the Women and Girls Safety Charter