Northumbria PCC Kim McGuinness rolls out women's safety campaign to end harassment
A digital campaign is calling for a culture change to tackle misogyny and stop sexual harassment.
The It all adds up campaign is part of the women's safety in public place project and is aimed at tackling misogynistic behaviours and attitudes.
Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Kim McGuinness said there needed to be a culture change.
The campaign involves a series of four short films which have been made based on the experiences of women in the region.
These included different types of intimidation from having comments and gestures made at them to physical contact, by some men in public places.
The campaign is the latest part of over £1million of investment into changing behaviour in the hope of making people feel safer in the region.
As part of the ongoing work, the PCC commissioned Rape Crisis Tyneside and Northumberland to carry out focus groups and gather anecdotes from those involved to to inform the campaign.
The final videos show women from different cultures, age and size to show sexual harassment can happen to any woman, in any setting.
One focus group member said when she feels uncomfortable in a public place, she texts a friend saying “If I don’t text you in 30 mins, call the police.”
Some members of the focus group also mentioned that when people do step in, there can be an element of victim blaming.
Kim McGuinness, Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “By turning a blind eye to everyday harassment, it gives some men and boys the OK to go further and can lead to horrific consequences for the victim.
"With this powerful campaign we are doing the very opposite of turning a blind eye; we’re shining the spotlight on it.
"A simple remark can be intimidating, annoying, frustrating and even at times, triggering. It all adds up, and so we want men and boys to be asking themselves if they are part of the problem."
She continued: “So often women change who they are to try and stop sexual harassment from occurring. This isn’t a problem with women. The problem sits with men. People are often too scared to talk about it. Well, I am talking about it and I really hope people will join me and do the same so we can spark conversation and drive lasting change."
Samantha Jones, deputy chief executive from Rape Crisis Tyneside and Northumberland, said: “The everyday nature of gendered sexual harassment makes women feel they have to simply accept it as’ part and parcel’ of being a woman.
"Some men don’t realise that women are impacted way more than they think. If we want to start tackling public sexual harassment, the first step is to understand what behaviours, actions and comments constitute harassment then we can start preventing it."
Chief Superintendent Lyn Peart, head of Northumbria Police’s Safeguarding department said: “We want everyone to feel safe in our communities and we always encourage anyone who has experienced sexual harassment to please report it to police.
“We are here and we’ll support you in every way we can.”
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