The first organisations across the county have signed up to the Northamptonshire Women’s Charter to show they are dedicated to listening to the safety concerns of their female colleagues.
The Women’s Charter is Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone’s call to action for organisations to promote safer environments for women – and therefore everyone – particularly in the workplace.
Yesterday (December 1), Northamptonshire Police, Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service, Northampton Town Football Club, Northampton Town Football Club Community Trust, London Northwestern Railway, Greatwell Homes, Brackmills BID and Northampton BID were the first signatories at the launch.
These organisations signed up to show they will take action to create inclusive spaces and take reporting seriously.
The Northamptonshire Women’s Charter is now free to sign up to for all organisations across the county on the Commissioner’s website.
Danielle Stone said: “The Women’s Charter is part of my wider public safety plan to tackle violence against women and girls.
“We need a shared grip on what women want to make them feel safer where they work, such as secure routes to work or better tools to report harassment.
“My Women’s Charter is packed full of practical steps to make Northamptonshire a safer place and empower employers to play their part in challenging their existing workplace culture.”
In return, the Commissioner’s office is providing organisations who sign up with a free and exclusive Charter Toolkit.
It includes specialist survey support, which will inform workplaces about safety changes women want to see, bespoke training packages, plus support for SMEs to create workplace policies that prevent harm.
Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet (pictured above) said: “Tackling violence against women and girls will always be a priority for Northamptonshire Police, and we want women and girls to not only be safer, but to feel safer too.
“This includes the workplace, and it’s important for us to make public pledges such as signing the Commissioner’s Women’s Charter so that we can be held accountable. Behaviours and attitudes that make women and girls feel unsafe need to be challenged and eradicated. Anyone who does not understand that should not be working for Northamptonshire Police.
“We have so much more to do – whether that’s bringing offenders to justice through the courts, safeguarding women who are suffering from domestic abuse, or ensuring our female colleagues feel respected and able to raise any issues – we are passionate about making this county a place where women are protected, listened to, and empowered to speak up.”
Nikki Watson, Chief Fire Officer for Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service (pictured below), added: “We can all do more as employers and I want to make sure our stations and offices for firefighters and fire staff are as welcoming and as safe as they can be.
“By signing the Women’s Charter, the Service is making a clear commitment to keeping women’s safety at the heart of our conversations.
“I want every member of staff to understand the important role they play in being allies to each other.”
Jo Savage, Chief Executive of Greatwell Homes, added: “I think for our colleagues, knowing we’ve signed up to the Charter is an important step.
“At Greatwell Homes we’ve got 200 colleagues and over 100 are women. We also have access to many women who live in our properties and, sadly, what we have seen is a rise in violence against women and girls in particular.
“So, using the expertise of Northamptonshire Police, and partners, to make sure we are doing everything we can to maximise women’s safety is really important. We want to make sure we use all the tools at our disposal to be able to support people who find themselves in those challenging situations.”
To register your interest, sign-up and contribute towards change, visit www.northantspfcc.org.uk/womens-charter-sign-up/
