Eva Gomez, Safer Communities Team Manager, to present
Minutes:
Councillor Radha Burgess, explained that the council’s women’s safety charter was about women not just having a good night out in Southwark, but a safe night out. The council would be working with licensed premises in three major alcohol saturation zones: Camberwell, Peckham and Borough & Bankside. A four or five point charter would be developed that was practical, realistic and impactful in terms of women’s safety. A consultation exercise would be launched during which the council would talk to young women about their experiences in night-time venues. The women’s safety charter was the first in a series of initiatives to tackle head-on harassment, abuse and violence against women and girls in the borough.
George Roscoe, community safety officer, explained that there were two community conversations being launched. One was around the women’s safety charter and women’s safety generally in the borough. This was the first step in a four-year programme to make the borough safer for women. The second was a community conversation around domestic abuse. There would be outreach events and also online discussions. There would be community briefings at community councils and to local groups. The consultation would also involve focus groups. Everyone was encouraged to take part in the consultation. It was about understanding people’s life experiences so that the services provided could be shaped over the next four years. Contact: george.roscoe@southwark.gov.uk or Tel. 020 7525 3552
In response to questions, the following points were made:
- Alcohol saturation zones were high footfall areas containing a large number of
bars and clubs.
- It was important to address the low level daily harassment of women such as cat-calling or car beeping and to change the culture so that such behaviour is regarded as utterly unacceptable.
- At some point in the future some of the principles in the women’s charter would be reflected in the licensing policy.
- Later in the year the new draft Southwark plan would be consulted on. This would include issues around designing out crime by active street frontages and removing dark blind spots.
- A youth service worker in attendance said he would help roll out the women’s safety charter message to all the voluntary and statutory youth services in the borough.