Women’s Night Safety Charter

The safety of residents, especially women, is paramount in Barking and Dagenham. In turn, the borough has now signed up to the Women’s Night Safety Charter alongside 25 London boroughs.

What is the Night Safety Charter

The aim of the Night Safety Charter is to promote women’s safety, particularly during the nighttime hours. This charter forms a part of the London Mayor’s Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy and London’s commitment to the UN Women Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces global initiative.

Signing up to the charter means Barking and Dagenham Council must carry out these 7 pledges:

  1. Nominate a champion in the organisation to actively promotes women’s night safety
  2. Demonstrate to staff and residents that the organisation takes women’s safety at night seriously, for example through a communications campaign
  3. Remind residents and staff that London is safe, but tell them what to do if they experience harassment when working, going out, or travelling
  4. Encourage reporting by victims and bystanders as part of the communications campaign
  5. Train staff to ensure that all women who report are believed
  6. Train staff to ensure that all reports are recorded and responded to
  7. Design public spaces and workplaces to make them safer for women at night

What’s been done so far

So far, the council has continued to work closely with local businesses in encouraging them to sign up to the charter. By doing this, businesses send a clear message that they will not tolerate intimidating behaviour, violence, or sexual harassment at their venues.

Following an online survey asking women to identify what areas of the borough they feel unsafe in, the following actions have been taken by the council:

  1. Investing in a new Community Safety Enforcement Team
  2. Increasing enforcement patrols in antisocial behaviour hotspots
  3. Improving lighting in areas highlighted by residents
  4. Overhauling the council’s CCTV system and cameras
  5. Supporting the launch of a brand-new Barking Town Centre police team

What Barking and Dagenham businesses have signed up to the Night Safety Charter so far

  1. Barking and Dagenham College
  2. The Gym Group - London Barking

How can my business sign up to the Safety Charter

Businesses can sign up to the Charter on the Mayor of London website.

Sign up to the Safety Charter

On the website there are resources such as a toolkit that offers simple ideas, inspiration, information, and a list of all London venues that are signed up to the Charter.

Once you sign your businesses up to the charter, please inform the council by email CSP@lbbd.gov.uk so we are aware of what venues in the borough are a part of the Charter.