Westminster’s £290,000 night safety programme launches behavioural change video to tackle harassment in the West End and beyond

Play your part and put an end to sexual harassment.

The council has launched the second part of the ‘It’s Her City Too’ campaign to raise awareness of sexual street harassment, which is a crime. The campaign encourages bystanders to act when they witness it.

In the last year London has seen a 3.4% increase in sexual offences, and previous analysis has shown that in Westminster, women accounted for 84% of the victims. In a survey ran by the City Council, it was found that a third of women in the borough had had a personal experience of street harassment, and 45% reported feeling unsafe at night. This campaign is part of our Night Safety Programme, aimed at addressing this pressing societal issue, and making it safer for women and girls in our City.

The campaign features a video following a woman leaving a venue in the West End as she experiences multiple instances of verbal sexual harassment by different men in the street and portrays the emotional distress victims may feel because of such harassment.   

The video concludes with a powerful call to action, urging bystanders to call out and report instances of sexual harassment and join the council and our partners in the collective effort to make Westminster safer.

As part of the Night Safety programme the council has already invested £290,000 to tackle sexual harassment in the city. Key initiatives include night safety walks, and the Night Stars volunteers who have patrolled the West End to support anyone in vulnerable situations and promote women’s safety since March 2022.

The city’s Night Safety programme provides training to support businesses achieve night safety accreditation which includes training on the identification of perpetrators in their venues and how to appropriately support victims. We are also encouraging businesses to apply to become Safe Havens, where they can provide a secure space and support to vulnerable individuals to recover and make their way home safely.

Westminster City Council is encouraging all businesses, and particularly those in the nighttime economy, to seek night safety accreditation to help us put an end to sexual harassment in venues across our city.

The council will continue to work with local partners to keep the city safe from crime.

A spokesperson for the Westminster Police said:

“Met officers based in Westminster have been promoting the global ‘16 Days of Activism’ campaign. We are working closely with Westminster City Council and other partners to end sexual harassment in the West End.

We deploy officers in uniform and in plain clothes to tackle all forms of violence, harassment and predatory behaviour. We are also working to raise awareness of drink spiking and the availability of safe havens.

If you experience sexual harassment, speak to a police officer or dial 101. In an emergency dial 999.

 We want everyone to be able to enjoy the heart of London safely and without fear”

A spokesperson for the Heart of London Business Alliance said:

“As an organisation that represents over 500 businesses in London’s West End, Heart of London Business Alliance works to challenge the culture of sexual harassment against women and girls. We thereby fully support this initiative of behavioural change so we can collectively create a future where everyone feels safe and respected.”

Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Public Protection, Cllr Aicha Less said:

"The council is clear that we will not tolerate any form of sexual harassment on our streets or in our venues. We understand that addressing this issue requires a multifaceted partnership approach and that is why we have invested into a range of initiatives to make our city safer.

The ‘It’s Her City Too’ behavioural change campaign shines a light on the unacceptable  experiences of women and girls, and the need for every single person to play their part and put an end to sexual harassment, the Council and its partners cannot do this on our own.

I encourage everyone in Westminster - residents, visitors, and businesses alike - to engage with the Night Safety programme and learn how you can join us in making Westminster safer for everyone.”

To watch the video and find out how you can help us to end sexual harassment in Westminster please visit: It's Her City Too