Residents urged to help women in danger, as new film shows how to intervene safely

Richmond Council has launched a new campaign film today encouraging members of the public to help put a stop to problematic and controlling behaviour towards women and girls. The campaign is part of the Council's wider work with local businesses and residents to provide tools and guidance to support anyone to intervene in a safe way.

The film shows a scenario of young woman on a bad date. It demonstrates how women can be made to feel unsafe by men's actions and puts a spotlight on the opportunities where a 'bystander' can take action to help. It aims to help residents confidently and safely step in when they witness unacceptable behaviour towards women. It also provides advice on how to direct to local services such as the Safe Space which provides support to vulnerable people on Friday and Saturday nights.

Councillor Gareth Roberts, Leader of the Council said:

"One of Richmond Council's three priorities is to make our borough the safest in London. A key commitment within this is to work with our partners and communities to tackle the pernicious issue of the harmful behaviour of some men towards women and girls. We understand that these behaviours come in many different forms and many people want to know how to help in a safe way. Our new Don't pass her by campaign film shows residents and business owners that there are ways to safely step up and help prevent toxic behaviours from escalating."

"It is only by making sure that women and girls are both protected and respected that we can continue to create a safer borough for everyone." 

Richmond Council has a comprehensive strategy in place to tackle all forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG), working in partnership with local organisations and community groups to ensure harmful behaviours can be identified early and to change the systems that allow harassment to escalate. Supporting a coordinated community response is one of the main commitments of the strategy - Don’t pass her by aims to remove the onus of VAWG from women and instead encourage collective responsibility.

The Don't pass her campaign video premiered at the St Mary's University Freshers Fayre last week.