Survey Third of people say sexual harassment common in county
ABOUT one in six people in Gloucestershire (14 per cent) think the county’s streets are “unsafe” for women and girls, a new survey by girls’ rights charity Plan International UK reveals.
The survey, conducted by Opinium, also found that just over one in 10 people in Gloucestershire (12 per cent) do not feel safe “often” or “at all” in public spaces.
The research, carried out last month, found that one-third of residents in Gloucestershire (33 per cent) believe that public sexual harassment is “common” in the county, with over a third (38 per cent) saying it is a “major or moderate problem”.
About one in five respondents in Gloucestershire (19 per cent) say that experiencing or worrying about public sexual harassment has prevented them doing certain activities – like taking their usual route home or exercising.
And worried residents feel the authorities are not doing enough to tackle the problem.
The survey found that:
» Nearly three in ten (28 per cent) feel their local MP is “not doing much, or doing nothing” to address public sexual harassment in their local area.
Three in ten (30 per cent) feel that their local MP does not take the issue of such harassment seriously.
Just over three-fifths of people (61 per cent) said existing laws were not enough to protect women and girls from harassment.
The findings come almost nine months after the Government promised to review gaps in legislation and consider a new public sexual harassment law as part of its Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy.
However, Plan International UK says the Government is yet to make any movement on this, meaning that thousands of girls are being left without legal protection from harassment.
Rose Caldwell, chief executive of Plan International UK, said: “It is extremely worrying that many women and girls do not feel safe in public places in their home towns. Even more concerning is their feeling that those in power either will not listen or do not care.
“We know from talking to girls that they are facing public sexual harassment every day – they are being followed, shouted at, groped and exposed to unwanted sexual advances. Enough is enough.
“We have laws to prevent people from dropping litter on the street, but we have no single piece of legislation to protect girls from public sexual harassment. The Government must act now to change this once and for all.”
Plan International UK and Our Streets Now are calling for a new law to criminalise public sexual harassment through their #crimenotcompliment campaign. Visit www.plan-uk.org/ crimenotcompliment