The past two years have seen a national conversation about the state of violence against women and girls (VAWG) erupt across the UK.  This has largely been trigged by several high-profile murders of women such as Sarah Everard, Bibaa Henry, Nicole Smallman and Sabina Nessa, in addition to increased reports of domestic and sexual violence, sexual abuse in schools, police abuse, and online safety abuse. Just last month Home Secretary Suella Braverman declared VAWG a national threat, meaning police forces must now treat it on a par with terrorism, serious and organised crime and child sexual abuse.  

While the picture looks bleak, there is some positivity. Numerous charities throughout the UK are working tirelessly to support the women affected across the spectrum of gendered abuse, in addition to conducting research and campaigning for change. There have also been several corporate initiatives designed to raise awareness of the issue and offer alternative support mechanisms for women. As an organisation working with businesses to address modern slavery, for International Women’s Day 2023 we wanted to draw attention to these VAWG campaigns and show our audience how corporate initiatives can make a positive difference. So, let’s dive in… 

HSBC

HSBC UK teamed up with Hestia in 2022 for a campaign to raise awareness of economic abuse. Financial control is a commonly used tool by abusers to trap a person and render them powerless, and is evident within an estimated 95% of domestic abuse cases (Surviving Economic Abuse). However, it is often overlooked with 69% of people seeing the two concepts as unrelated (ibid). This campaign saw powerful ads on billboards and television, raising awareness of the issue and igniting conversations among the general public. However, the core message of the campaign was encouraging victims to come into a branch for specialist financial support – enabling them to regain their financial independence and offering them a lifeline to break the cycle of abuse.  

Learn more here. 

Boots and other UK pharmacies

Boots and a range of independent pharmacies across the UK teamed up with the government to launch a domestic abuse codeword campaign during lockdown – a time when incidents of domestic violence rose across the UK and it became harder for those experiencing it to seek help (Gov). This initiative meant those in immediate danger could reach out for assistance by going to their local pharmacy and asking for ANI (action needed immediately). Pharmacists, who received training, would then discreetly take the individual to a safe space to ask questions and provide immediate support. The scheme was supported by a targeted national advertising campaign to raise awareness to as many potential victims  as possible. 

Learn more here. 

Transport for London (TFL)

In January 2023, TFL launched a new poster and social media campaign to encourage passengers to look out for sexual harassment on public transport. With sexual harassment most commonly taking place in public spaces and research showing that over a third of Londoners have been subjected to unwanted sexual behaviour while traveling on public transport (YouGov). This campaign was urgently needed. It raises awareness of the different types of harassment, ranging from staring and catcalling to indecent exposure, and challenges the traditional narrative that these behaviors are merely ‘something that happens’ to women and girls. It calls on all passengers to be ‘active bystanders’ and respond to anything they witness of this nature – whether that be safely intervening or reporting it to transport police. With ONS statistics revealing that travelling on public transport can be intimidating for a lot of women, especially at night, this campaign will go some way in making women feel more at ease. 

Learn more here. 

Cross-Hospitality

Originally developed by Lincolnshire County Council in 2016, the ‘Ask for Angela’ campaign was created as part of a wider project to decrease sexual violence in the night-time economy. It has since been rolled out across numerous hospitality venues in the UK, from restaurants to pubs and nightclubs, providing women and men with a discreet way of getting out of dangerous or uncomfortable situations. Posters promoting the safe words ‘Ask for Angela’ and what it means have been placed in participating venue’s toilets, encouraging its use. Staff in these venues have been trained to deal with these situations and to respond accordingly, taking customers to a safe space, reuniting them with a friend, seeing them to a taxi, or by calling venue security / the police.  

Learn more here. 

By Gabriella Jiménez