'Attitudes need to change' for women and girls to feel safe

A number of high-profile national incidents have reignited the debate about the safety of women and girls, and the issue has been made a major priority for West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin.

At a recent meeting of representatives from police, Bradford Council, the NHS and other public bodies, members were told that there needed to be a change in attitudes, particularly among men and boys who may dismiss harassment as “banter.”

The issue was discussed at the final meeting of 2023 of the Bradford and Airedale Wellbeing Board.

Work being done locally includes the “Ask for Angela” campaign, where women can ask staff in bars and clubs to speak to Angela, which staff will recognise as code that they are being harassed and need help.

But a report to the board said “challenging attitudes” of men and boys was one of the main priorities of the campaign.

The report said a recent survey of over 700 people in the Bradford district found that 49 per cent of respondents had witnessed women being harassed in public by men or groups of men in the last year, “with varying frequency.”

Members were told there had been operations to tackle the issue using Public Space Protection Orders.

These allow police and Council Wardens to fine motorists for behaviour that is anti-social, even if it is not illegal.

Street harassment and cat-calling are some of the acts that can result in a fine, and the meeting was told that 20 people in Bradford had been fined recently for harassing women in the street.

An aerial view of Bradford (Image: T&A)

But members were told that punishment would only go so far – to make Bradford’s streets safer for women and girls, work needed to be done to educate people that harassment is not normal.

Nicole Stott, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Manager for Bradford, said: “We need to engage with men and boys to change attitudes.

“When girls are harassed at school it is often dismissed as banter, so it is important we change behaviours.”

Marium Haque, head of Children’s Services on Bradford Council, said the change in attitude needed to include a change in how people speak about abuse of women.

She said: “Words do very much matter.

“You have people taking about honour based violence – there is no honour in violence. It is violence against women and girls. It almost becomes an excuse, and is something we need to be advocating against.”

Police Superintendent Richard Padwell, of West Yorkshire Police, said: “Safeguarding and domestic abuse is now one of the biggest departments in the force, with hundreds of officers.

“It is something where we have to put the resources in. There are a lot of people now doing jobs that weren’t done in the past.”

He said previous generations of police viewed domestic abuse as an issue that happened within the home.

He said views were completely different now, adding: “In the 1950s - what people call the ‘fantastic days of British policing’ - domestic abuse wouldn’t have been classed as a police matter – it was a private matter.”

Michael Churley, neighbourhood manager at Bradford Council, said the effects of domestic abuse can be felt through Council services for years, with children who grow up witnessing domestic abuse often falling into the care system.

He said: “Not only is domestic abuse a tragedy for victims, it also damages children who witness it.

“The need to improve safety for women and girls has gained prominence in recent years – it is an issue for all of us, and we need to drive culture change. We need to look at what needs to be done for girls to go out and feel safe – what is needed to stop girls being sexually harassed.

“The number of children damaged by domestic abuse can be seen long term across the services we provide.”

He said surveys had found that young women in West Yorkshire were put off from using public transport, and even taxis, because of the fear of harassment.

Bradford Council Leader Susan Hinchliffe, chair of the board, said Ms Brabin had provided funding for 15 PCSOs to travel on public transport in response to the issues raised.