Sheffield Council’s Women and Girls Safety Charter, created to protect women when enjoying the city’s night life and public spaces, is officially relaunching on 10 November at an event held at Odeon Cinema.
The charter calls for for organisations, businesses, venues and individuals to sign up and pledge to its policies, designed to give guidance on making spaces safe and to know what to do when incidents are reported.
The initial version was launched in 2022, but has been refreshed for this year to cover daytime and nighttime operations. It takes inspiration from the Mayor of London’s Women’s Night Safety Charter and the Good Night Out Campaign.
Consultation from The Sheffield VAWG Forum, Sheffield Hallam University students, Shelter’s Lived Experience research group, Catcalls of Sheffield and working professionals around the city have helped shaped the 2026 edition. The work also aligns with national campaigning being undertaken by the Government.
There are seven commitments for those signed up. In 2021, 86-97% of women reported some form of sexual harassment in public spaces during 2021 according to a UN Women study, signifying a clear need for the charter and other forms of guidance.
The launch event will take place at the Odeon Cinema on Arundel Gate at 2-4pm on 10 November. At the launch, attendees will hear about why the charter is important, understand the pledges, find out how to sign up and learn about South Yorkshire Police’s new Businesses Against Abuse initiative starting this year.
You can find out about the launch on Eventbrite. More information about the charter can be found on the Sheffield Council website.