Brixton Womens Safety Charter

[bluestreak]

http://www.movementforchange.org.uk/2012/09/26/launch-of-the-brixton-womens-safety-charter/

I was at the lauch of this the other day. A grand idea.

However, I suspect its doomed to fail, as it's an opt in scheme that relies on landlords being willing to pay for training their staff, and indeed on minimum wage staff members being expected to act as bouncers!

However, I think a lot of pubs around here would benefit from schemes that made women feel safer and know that inappropriate behaviour would not be accepted.

If you agree, tell your local!

 

[Brixton Hatter]

http://www.movementforchange.org.uk/2012/09/26/launch-of-the-brixton-womens-safety-charter/

I was at the lauch of this the other day. A grand idea.

However, I suspect its doomed to fail, as it's an opt in scheme that relies on landlords being willing to pay for training their staff, and indeed on minimum wage staff members being expected to act as bouncers!

However, I think a lot of pubs around here would benefit from schemes that made women feel safer and know that inappropriate behaviour would not be accepted.

If you agree, tell your local!

Nice one, yeah I read about this on Twitter.

What are the practical things proposed that landlords/staff etc can do? Is it recognising and tackling inappropriate behaviour (zero tolerance, banning perpetrators etc), or are there more specifc actions?

 

[Brixton Blog]

Nice one, yeah I read about this on Twitter.

What are the practical things proposed that landlords/staff etc can do? Is it recognising and tackling inappropriate behaviour (zero tolerance, banning perpetrators etc), or are there more specifc actions?

Going to post something up about this this week, but in short they have practical stuff like putting up posters, and getting all staff - especially security - properly trained in how to deal with situations where women are harassed. And also how to preempt those situations (in collalboration with the Suzy Lamplugh Trust). Zero tolerance policy. And writing a public letter to the Security industry Association.

 

[Brixton Hatter]

Going to post something up about this this week, but in short they have practical stuff like putting up posters, and getting all staff - especially security - properly trained in how to deal with situations where women are harassed. And also how to preempt those situations (in collalboration with the Suzy Lamplugh Trust). Zero tolerance policy. And writing a public letter to the Security industry Association.

Good.

I think it will be a good initiative if enough licensed premised get involved and walk the talk. Women getting hassled by drunken blokes is all too common - and it's not fucking good enough to say "it's only banter blah blah blah". I've nearly received several punches in the face for sticking up for women in these sorts of situations and it would be nice to know the staff and security were on your side, let alone your fellow drinkers. Too often people turn their backs or are (rightly) scared to get involved for fear of being attacked - there has to be a culture where this is unacceptable and challenged at every opportunity.

We would all do well to ensure the places where we drink are signed up to this.

 

[Gramsci]

http://www.movementforchange.org.uk/2012/09/26/launch-of-the-brixton-womens-safety-charter/

I was at the lauch of this the other day. A grand idea.

However, I suspect its doomed to fail, as it's an opt in scheme that relies on landlords being willing to pay for training their staff, and indeed on minimum wage staff members being expected to act as bouncers!

However, I think a lot of pubs around here would benefit from schemes that made women feel safer and know that inappropriate behaviour would not be accepted.

If you agree, tell your local!

The article focuses on figures for rape. Rape is rape and should be investigated properly by the Police. Not sure what this is about. The rapes do not take place at the bars/ clubs. Its when a woman says no at a certain point which is ignored that it becomes rape. A man might be totally civil in a bar/ club its only later when he wont take no for an answer that it becomes rape.

So Im not clear on why focusing on bars/ clubs is the answer. The answer is for women to be taken seriously when they report sexual assault / rape. So that men realise they are liable to get done for it. The actual successful prosecutions for rape are still low.

Movement for Change is a Labour party front organisation?

 

[Brixton Hatter]

The article focuses on figures for rape. Rape is rape and should be investigated properly by the Police. Not sure what this is about. The rapes do not take place at the bars/ clubs. Its when a woman says no at a certain point which is ignored that it becomes rape. A man might be totally civil in a bar/ club its only later when he wont take no for an answer that it becomes rape.

So Im not clear on why focusing on bars/ clubs is the answer. The answer is for women to be taken seriously when they report sexual assault / rape. So that men realise they are liable to get done for it. The actual successful prosecutions for rape are still low.

Movement for Change is a Labour party front organisation?

Yes, it is sort of - set up by David Miliband.

I think the scheme itself is more about women being harrassed/groped in clubs - there was an article in the Daily Torygraph today about it:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/95...ing-groped-in-nightclubs-Brixton-beckons.html

 

[bluestreak]

ah, that would explain the prevalence of labour party types at the launch.

 

[Gramsci]

ah, that would explain the prevalence of labour party types at the launch.

Did they not tell u it was Labour party thing?

See here for basis of Movement for Change

I'm not saying its a bad idea.

 

[Gramsci]

Article here with police advocating using licensing laws to close premises which, they reckon, are associated with rape and sexual assault. The reaction by Women against Rape is:

A spokeswoman for Women Against Rape said the new tactics were a diversion. "These so-called prevention strategies are a diversion from what's needed: thorough unbiased investigations and prosecutions so rapists are caught and convicted, and rape is discouraged," the spokeswoman said.
"Telling men not to rape will have no effect when the reality is that 93% of rapes don't reach conviction. Victims want their attackers prosecuted for rape, not for some unconnected crime.
"What makes women vulnerable is that the authorities side with the rapist rather than the victim: victims are disbelieved, especially if they have been attacked before."

A lot of the Guardian article is taken up with the incompetence of the police in dealing with rape and sexual assault cases in the sex crimes unit called Sapphire.

This month a former Sapphire officer, Ryan Coleman-Farrow, faces sentence for failing to investigate rapes, pursue suspects or submit evidence over a three-year period. His activities have left 11 alleged sex attackers at large.