New survey launched to investigate women’s safety in the East Riding

East Riding of Yorkshire Council has launched a survey to investigate how safe women feel across the East Riding. The survey, entitled A Safer East Riding: It’s Time to Listen to You, is open to all East Riding residents.

The survey asks residents about their experiences in the East Riding, their feelings of safety, and how the East Riding can be made safer.

The council is White Ribbon accredited, meaning that it recognises the severity of violence against women and girls (VAWG), and is committed to ending it by raising its profile and encouraging men and boys to be part of the solution. The council is dedicated to creating a safer East Riding for women and girls.

VAWG can happen anywhere and takes many forms - from sexist jokes online to harassing behaviour on public transport. Some behaviours may be dismissed as 'small' or 'low-level' acts: sharing sexist 'jokes' at work or in group chats; catcalling women in the street; or harassing women on a night out.  

These all contribute towards creating a culture of fear and misogyny that can encourage violence and abuse against women. If these behaviours are normalised in certain environments, it can lead to more extreme cases of violence. 

VAWG is now recognised as a national threat. It features on a list of six other national threats that include, terrorism, serious and organised crime, and child sexual abuse.

Residents can complete the survey at: https://consultation.eastriding.gov.uk/s/SaferEastRiding

Councillor Linda Johnson, East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s councillor-appointed White Ribbon Champion, said: “Violence against women and girls is the most unnecessary menace which blights our society and I want to see it eradicated.

“VAWG takes many forms - misogyny, domestic abuse, sex trafficking, inappropriate touching, wolf-whistling - all of which undermine the way women and girls feel about themselves as valuable and equal members of society.

“Too many women experience VAWG on a daily basis and have learnt to ‘put up and shut up’, but that is not the answer.

“VAWG needs to be called out, perpetrators challenged, and behaviours changed. To help do that, East Riding of Yorkshire Council has set up a VAWG survey called ‘A Safer East Riding: It’s Time to Listen to You’ to ask residents about their experiences in the East Riding, their feelings of safety, and how we can make the East Riding even safer. This will help inform new ways of preventing VAWG.

“I would encourage anyone who has experienced VAWG, no matter how minor they think the incident might be, to comment, because that minor incident could cause major trauma for another woman or girl.”

Last month, East Riding of Yorkshire Council used International Women’s Day as an opportunity to raise awareness of VAWG and to engage allies across the East Riding.

Landmarks and venues across the county were illuminated to signify justice, dignity, and solidarity to the cause:

Beverley:

• Beverley Town Council
• East Riding Theatre
• Flemingate
• Market Cross
• Twilight Football at Beverley Leisure Centre
• The C Club
• Toll Gavel Church

Bridlington

• Bridlington Spa
• Bridlington Community Hub
• Bridlington Leisure Centre
• Sewerby Hall and Gardens

Etton

• Etton War Memorial.

If you are, or anyone you know is, affected by violence or domestic abuse, you can:

find organisations that can help on the White Ribbon website

read more about domestic violence on the council website

The council also acknowledges that men and boys can be victims of the same types of violence and offers support for male victims.