Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is rooted in gender inequality and harmful social attitudes. These attitudes can create unfair expectations about how women should look, behave and live their lives. They can allow harassment, abuse and violence to be excused or minimised.
Challenging these attitudes is important if we want to build safer, fairer communities where everyone can thrive.
The effects of VAWG go far beyond individual incidents. Many women regularly experience harassment, intimidation and unwanted behaviour, which can affect their daily lives. It may influence:
Many women make changes to their behaviour because they are constantly aware of the risk of harassment or violence.
The scale of the problem is significant. Research shows that:
The impact on those affected can be serious. Women who experience sexual harassment often report feeling upset, angry, uncomfortable or afraid.
Very few say they are surprised by it, which shows how common and normalised these experiences have become.
Sexual harassment also happens in workplaces. Research shows that half of women in Britain have experienced sexual harassment at work. However, almost two-thirds did not report what happened.
Sexual harassment is against the law under the Equality Act 2010. Despite this, it is often dismissed as “banter” or treated as something people should simply accept.
Organisations have an important responsibility to:
Everyone has the right to feel safe. Creating places where women and girls can live, work, learn, socialise, travel and access services without fear of harassment, abuse, intimidation or violence is a responsibility we all share. This includes:
The Bracknell Forest Women and Girls Safety Charter brings together:
We have a shared commitment to preventing VAWG, challenging the attitudes and behaviours that enable it and making Bracknell Forest a safer and more inclusive place for women and girls.
This toolkit is designed to help organisations turn that commitment into action by creating the conditions where harassment, abuse, intimidation and violence are less likely to happen. It helps make sure that these behaviours are more likely to be challenged, and are responded to safely when they do occur.
It includes:
This is to support organisations in putting the charter's principles into everyday practice. This may include changes to:
The charter recognises that organisations will be at different stages of their journey. Some may already have policies and procedures in place, while others may be just starting to think about how they can improve safety for women and girls.
This toolkit is flexible and can be used by organisations of any size or sector, helping them make progress in a way that works for them.
By signing the charter, organisations show their commitment to:
The charter's 9 pledges provide a framework to help organisations act and continue improving over time. Signatories are encouraged to use this toolkit to:
Making Bracknell Forest safer for women and girls is not something that one organisation can achieve alone. It requires:
By working together, sharing good practice and showing strong leadership, we can create a community where women and girls feel safer, more confident and better supported in their everyday lives.
Thank you for being part of this important commitment to making Bracknell Forest a safer place for everyone.
When you sign the Women and Girls Safety Charter, you will be sent further information on how to act on the pledges. This includes:
By signing the charter, your organisation is demonstrating a clear commitment to creating safer, more inclusive communities and helping to tackle VAWG.
This means supporting people affected by harm, but it also means:
Show customers, employees, service users, residents and partners that your organisation is committed to safety, equality and respect. It shows that you are taking meaningful action to:
Many victims of domestic abuse, stalking, harassment and sexual violence are in employment. The charter helps organisations to:
Charter commitments encourage organisations to:
Customers increasingly expect organisations to demonstrate social responsibility and contribute positively to their communities.
Signing the charter shows that your organisation is committed to being part of the solution.
Employees want to work for organisations whose values align with their own.
A visible commitment to safety, wellbeing and inclusion can help attract, engage and retain talented staff.
The charter complements existing initiatives in:
This helps organisations turn commitments into practical action.
Signatories can benefit from training, guidance, awareness materials and connections to specialist support services. This helps to build confidence in responding to concerns and supporting those affected by VAWG.
Businesses and organisations are often trusted community spaces. Staff may be able to:
This helps you to set the everyday standards that make harassment, abuse and intimidation less likely to be accepted or ignored
The charter brings together businesses, employers, public services, educational institutions and community organisations. We have a shared goal of making Bracknell Forest safer for women and girls.
When women and girls feel safer and more confident in public spaces, workplaces and community settings, they are more likely to participate fully in local life. For example:
Creating safer communities benefits everyone and contributes to a thriving local economy.
By signing the charter, your organisation joins a growing network of partners committed to creating environments where women and girls can live, work, travel and socialise free from harassment, abuse and violence.
Together, we can help create a safer, more welcoming Bracknell Forest for all by making prevention, respect and accountability part of everyday life.
