There is no place for sexual harassment in Westminster. We do not tolerate any form of sexual harassment on our streets or in our venues.
Businesses are being trained in anti-sexual harassment and how to identify perpetrators in their venues. Our Night Stars are patrolling the streets looking out for perpetrators and work with the Metropolitan Police to hold offenders to account. It is her city too, and we are doing all we can to stop sexual harassment in Westminster.
Over the last year, there has been an 11% increase in sexual offences in the borough, with a shocking 84% of those victims being women. Moreover, in a survey we ran, 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.
Our ambitious Night Safety programme comprises of 6 core pillars, aiming to tackle the highest level of sexual offences in London, focusing on the evening and night-time economy, where the majority occur.
This will be achieved through a combination of on-street presence, behavioural change interventions, business engagement and training, and action research with the diverse range of women who work, live or visit the borough.
Each pillar is crucial to ending violence against women and girls in public spaces and ensuring the safety of women from across London, the UK and internationally at the heart of the country’s evening and night-time economy in Westminster.
Find out more about each pillar below, and how to report an incident if you're a victim, or if you witnessed something happen.
For businesses interested in being involved with night safety, our company guide provides advice and guidance on how to support women's night safety:
