Support for White Ribbon campaign to help women and girls feel safe in Milton Keynes

A campaign which aims to help women and girls feel safe in Milton Keynes, is being promoted by the city council.

The White Ribbon campaign encourages people, especially men and boys, to challenge behaviour and change the culture that leads to abuse and violence against women.

To support the move, the council, which became White Ribbon Accredited last year, offers a range of supportive domestic and sexual abuse policies, guidance and training for colleagues, along with housing and support services for women and children who need to flee violence and abuse.

It also has a range of measures to improve safety on the streets and in schools for women and girls, and is setting up a network of male ‘ambassadors’ and female ‘champions’ among employees and councillors, to promote the message and raise awareness.

The MK Youth Council will share a poem to advocate its support of the campaign during a candlelit vigil in Campbell Park on On White Ribbon Day (November 25). Other events will take place across the city during ‘16 days of action’.

Cllr Emily Darlington, Cabinet Member for Adults, Housing and Healthy Communities, said: “Women and girls have the right to feel safe in our city. We all have stories from ourselves or our loved ones of being harassed, abused or even raped.

"For women and girls to truly be safe, we need to come together and commit to challenge behaviour and attitudes of men and boys across our city.“Lots of people are signing up to be ambassadors and champions and I am asking local organisations of all sizes to join us and lend their support to these issues.

"Together, we can ensure that women and girls in MK can feel safe and supported by men and boys.”

Using £750k of Home Office funding secured by the city council and its Safer MK partners, upgrades have been made to the city centre to give women more confidence they can be safe at night, including lighting and reflective paint in underpasses along popular pedestrian routes to increase visibility, CCTV, and cutting back bushes and shrubs at entry and exit routes.

More information is available online.