One of the best things about living in London is the sheer amount of things to see and do, but for many women and girls, feeling safe within those spaces, as well as travelling to and from them is, unfortunately, not always a given.
This has prompted the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to set up a first-of-its-kind fund which aims to improve safety for women and girls in public spaces.
Safer Public Spaces Fund for London
This new mayoral fund of £15.6 million, in the words of Sadiq Khan, “puts the experience of women and girls at the heart of decision-making.”
The real-world knowledge of women and girls will be taken into account and used to help improve the design of parks, streets and other public areas across London. This is likely to include better lighting, better CCTV and removing blind spots and things like dealing with foliage and greenery to have better sight.
Local London authorities will be able to apply for a share in the fund to improve their local area.
The safety of women and girls in public spaces
The new fund is part of a wider London strategy to respond to the evolving threat of violence against women and girls backed by an investment of more than £37m.
The stats show that across the UK, 86 per cent of women and girls aged 18-24 have experienced harassment in public spaces. There is also research showing that Londoners feel less safe in town centres, pubs and clubs, parks and open spaces, and on public transport, than they do in other environments such as at home or at work.
Seret London has reported on other initiatives such as Strut Stop, which acts as a safe place to wait for a lift, taxi, or to meet someone without any pressure to buy something and a new app that allows Londoners to find their safest way home. Both prove the real desire for improvements for safety across the capital.
The Mayor has said that “every woman and girl should feel safe and be safe in London” and hopefully this fund will do exactly that.
