Making women and girls feel safe
October 4, 2018
London has become the third city in Canada, after Edmonton and Winnipeg, to take part in a United Nations initiative, aimed at enhancing safety for women and girls in public places.
As the heart of Safe City London is a website (http://safecityldn.crowdspotmap.com/page/welcome) where women and girls can anonymously tag places in the city and surrounding area where they have felt unsafe. The website points to instances of women and girls must look over their shoulder, where they avoid going or feel excluded, and where they have experienced instances of catcalling, groping or any form of sexual violence or sexual harassment.
The Safe City London initiative is being led by Dr. AnnaLise Trudell of ANOVA, a local women’s shelter and support centre. The Safe Cities Advisory Committee, of which Joanna Bedggood, Manager of Student Wellness at King’s, is a member, will study patterns and trends and present recommendations to London’s City Council at the next meeting in January, 2019.
Meanwhile, Safe City London is promoting its website at King’s through communications and the distribution of flyers. On October 30, 2018 Safe City London will have an information table set up in the Student Life Centre.
Bedggood encourages female staff and students to view the website and tag places where they have experienced sexual violence or harassment.