Latest news with #womenSafety
BBC News
04-07-2025
- BBC News
Police in Manchester boost nightlife patrols to keep women safe
Plain clothes police officers are to patrol streets, bars and nightspots as part of a force drive to keep women safe from sexual predators and will be backed up by extra uniformed police officers in Manchester city centre as part of Greater Manchester Police's (GMP) Safer Streets initiative."I don't any woman to be a victim particularly of rape and other offences - we want women to feel safe and to be safe," said Supt Nicola Williams, who is responsible for the city said it hoped to reduce sex attacks, spiking, harassment and voyeurism in the city further, after the first phase of the scheme cut by half the number of rape incidents reported between December 2023 to March 2025. Government funding for the scheme, which covered Deansgate and Peter Street, is set to finish. But GMP's city centre division has been given £500,000 from force funds to continue new money will see officers the scheme expanded to the Northern Quarter and Canal Street."We just cannot afford not to fund this operation," said Supt added: "It is important we do everything we can in a partnership to tackle those issues." GMP is working with Manchester City Council, the University of Manchester, and pub and club owners to tackle violence against woman and force has been involved in training staff who work in pubs, bars and clubs to spot potential problems such as drink-spiking and to increase reporting to the leader of Manchester City Council Joanna Midgley said the authority wanted to help make the city safe at night for added: "If women and girls don't feel safe then they are not going to come into the city."It is in the best interest of individual businesses to improve the safety of women and girls." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Yahoo
Women Who Live Alone Are Sharing The Safety Tips They Swear By, And It's So, So Important
Violence against women is a critical issue around the world, and it's a sad reality that we have to take extra measures to keep ourselves safe, even in the comfort of our own homes. A while back, we wrote a post where women who live alone shared the safety tips that every woman should know, and their advice was invaluable. In the comments, even more women rallied together to share the precautions and safety hacks they follow. Here's what they had to say: 1."I heard somewhere you should always have a big, heavy pair of work boots outside your door to make creeps think a guy lives there." —kittylane276 "I always keep a pair of men's boots outside my door." —islandmiss Related: 2."Becoming friendly with neighbors is a big one. I live alone, but I know I have several neighbors I can knock on the door if necessary. And several are within earshot. Look into how approachable your apartment is as well. I live in a sort of gated (the gate is never shut) community with a windy drive. Getting in and out isn't easy." —emilyl4fc46ac80 3."When I lived alone, any time I had food delivered, I'd always call, 'Food's here!' over my shoulder to my fictional boyfriend/housemate as I accepted the delivery, so it would never seem like I lived alone." —eleanorh44bb646f7 4."Bear spray by the door is useful. Buy a timer for your lights — they sell some with a phone app, so you can turn them on and off even if you're out of town." —dancer4eva2014 Related: 5."NEVER live on the first floor or give your full name for the buzzer (if needed): your first initial and last name (or part of your last name) will suffice." —dancer4eva2014 6."Regularly call your mom or someone super close to you, so it will be noticeable if you're missing." —dancer4eva2014 7."Check your mail in irregular patterns." —dancer4eva2014 8."Get a dog. Just the barking of a dog alone will scare off plenty of criminals. This has been proven." —whytetigress13 "The best protection, in my opinion, is having a mean dog. He's such a sweet boy to me, but to anyone who is not in his small circle (five people), he's terrifying. And I love it. Deters most people from even wanting to come over. I also put a set of like Christmas sleigh bells on the handle of my back door so they jingle every time it's turned. If I don't hear it, my dog will." —emmybburg Related: 9."Get a door alarm. I recently had an ex show up and walk into my house at 3:45 a.m. The door alarm is such a comfort for me now." —desireedallas 10."Check your car's backseat and trunk if you're going to drive at night. You never know who or what might be waiting for you." —petalt0themedal 11."Do NOT answer the door if you're not expecting anybody." —f4bul0u5 12."I always put two names (first initial, last name) on my apartment mailbox." —smogmonster 13."I keep an old softball bat and pepper spray by my bedside table and back door. I don't answer my front door. I have a handgun, but I don't like it. Any time I'm with friends who are shooting, I pick up a few spent casings and leave them on my porch." —eerie_e Related: 14."I'm hoping to get a motion sensor to put at the end of my driveway to let me know anytime someone pulls in (I live in the country). Always turn my porch light on when I leave, no matter when I expect to return." —eerie_e And finally... 15."I'm glad I have a Ring camera (especially while I'm living alone while my fiancé is deployed) because some guy who looked drunk or on drugs was pounding on my door in the middle of the night and reading my mail that was stuck in the mail slot." "Fortunately, I was out of town that weekend, but it was super freaky to see, and I would've been really scared had I been there that night." —arya_ravenclaw Fellow women who live alone, what other safety tips and precautions do you follow? Tell us in the comments, or if you prefer to remain anonymous, you can use the form below. Also in Goodful: Also in Goodful: Also in Goodful:
ABC News
26-06-2025
- ABC News
A women's safety fun run derailed by reports of further assaults on participants
Several women at a Take Back the Track running event in Alice Springs have reported inappropriate behaviour by a group of young people on Wednesday evening, which has left organisers deeply shocked. The event was organised by three running and walking groups in Alice Springs and was in direct response to previous assaults against women running in public spaces around Alice Springs in the past fortnight. One of the event organisers, Morgana Garland-Fernandez said she was feeling happy and proud about the event along the banks of the iconic Todd River, but "it was like whiplash" when returning runners told her more assaults had happened. "It is our understanding that a group of four to eight children and teenagers ranging from eight to 14 years old were moving along the bike path," she said. Alice Springs resident Amiuus Lennie said he saw one young person slap a woman on the bottom. "She kept running and sort of laughed it off, but [I thought] I'm actually going to say something to the young fellas because that's where this stuff stops," he said. "That's not right," he told the group. "You fellas need to stop each other doing that, you need to talk to each other about this because that's gotta stop." Ms Garland-Fernandez said she and several people called the police after the allegations surfaced. The Take Back the Track run and walk was planned after a woman reported she was indecently assaulted while running at 3:45pm last week along the Todd River by a male riding a bike. Three other women alleged similar offending on the same day after police put out a call for information. A 14-year-old male has been arrested in relation to the incidents. In a separate incident, a woman reported being followed by a man, who threw rocks at her and her dog, in scrubland on Grevillea Drive around 11:40am last month. NT Police said it was investigating and the woman and dog did not sustain physical injuries. Ms Garland-Fernandez, who is also the founder of Alice Springs women's running group The Dusty Divas, said women in central Australia were afraid. "Whenever we hear of an incident like this, that immediately just makes us feel fearful … that's just outrageous. We should be safe." President of the Alice Springs Running and Walking Club Katie Stroud said Alice Springs had a strong running community and many women would run 30 to 100 kilometres a week. "For most of us, two-thirds of that's by ourselves, and to walk out the door and have those thoughts in your mind, it's taking up head space," she said. About 150 people attended the Take Back the Track event on Wednesday and raised around $3,000 to buy personal safety alarms for female runners feeling worried or vulnerable. Ms Stroud said she carried an alarm when running. "It has a 130 decibel siren on it … there's a little pull tag on it, so that obviously sets the siren," she said. "You can test it to make sure it works before you go on your run because you'd hate for it not to be working when you need it." The incidents have prompted conversation around the use of pepper spray, after the Northern Territory government announced it would trial the spray for the public to use as protection later this year. Ms Garland-Fernandez said she could see the value of pepper spray, but she personally would not want to use it. "I can definitely see the value in having something to protect yourself when running alone, and I do know of a bunch of women who will have those same feelings," she said. "It will help them to feel less vulnerable, but I see [pepper spray] being problematic on a social level. "Alice Springs has enough social issues, and I worry about the misuse of pepper spray." Ms Stroud said it would make her feel "a little bit better" carrying pepper spray for self-protection, but she still would not feel entirely safe. "They could grab it out of my hand and use it against me," she said. Take Back the Track is a campaign launched at the start of 2025 to bring awareness to women and gender diverse people's safety when running alone. Founder Sissy Austin started the movement after being violently attacked while running. She said it was "heartbreaking" that women and gender diverse runners all over Australia did not feel safe to run in public spaces. "At a national, state and territory level, there has not been the acknowledgement that this is an issue," Ms Austin said. "More research and data gathering around it needs to be done, and that's what we're trying to do through the movement of Take Back the Track by gathering and keeping tabs of how many attacks there have been on women and gender diverse runners." Ms Austin said she was sending "love and strength and solidarity" to the Alice Springs community. Ms Garland-Fernandez said women should be able to operate in public spaces the same way men do. "It shouldn't matter what time of day, where we are, what we are wearing, whether there's daylight or moonlight," she said. "A lot of women are feeling very upset, very angry and scared, but more importantly than that, this is not going to stop us from running. "Running is what we do. It's what we love. We're passionate about running, and we're going to keep running."
Zawya
19-06-2025
- General
- Zawya
Safe spaces transform lives of displaced women in war torn Sudan
Since the outbreak of conflict on 15 April 2023, Sudan has witnessed one of the world's fastest-growing displacement crises. Over 12 million people have been forced to flee their homes as of 16 June 2025, including more than 2 million women and girls, many of whom are now living in overcrowded shelters or with host communities across the country. In Gadaref State, hundreds of thousands have sought refuge, placing immense pressure on services and resources—particularly for women facing heightened protection risks. When the war broke out, 35-year-old Marwa—not her real name—left Khartoum to seek refuge and safety. Like many internally displaced persons (IDPs), she found herself in Hay Al-Malik, a densely populated neighborhood in the heart of Gadaref State, sheltering thousands of displaced people by the ongoing conflict. Here, IDPs and host community members live side-by-side, often sharing houses due to soaring rents and limited resources. Marwa's early days were marked by intense psychological stress. Living with more than ten people in a small house without privacy, especially for women, left her feeling isolated and overwhelmed. Cultural differences deepened her sense of displacement, and she struggled to adapt. 'I rarely left the house or spoke to other women,' she shared. 'I didn't know how to adjust or where to turn.' A turning point came when Marwa heard about a new women's safe space established by Hope and Friendship for Development Organization (HOPE), in partnership with UN Women, and supported by the Government of Japan. Encouraged by outreach efforts in the community, she visited the Al-Malik Safe Space and immediately felt a sense of belonging. It was a space created by and for women—a place to talk, share, heal, and grow. With each visit, Marwa's confidence grew. She joined a life skills training and received psychosocial support that helped her regain emotional balance. She also participated in awareness sessions on harmful traditional practices, gaining tools to inform and uplift others. Over time, she became actively involved in managing activities alongside social workers, transforming herself from a participant into a leader. 'From the first day, I felt that this space belonged to us,' she said. 'It's our duty to protect it and keep it going.' Now, Marwa supports other displaced women and girls in accessing the safe space and envisions expanding it further. She emphasizes the need to include children, especially those with special needs, in future programming. She also expresses a strong desire to help sustain the space beyond the program's timeline, working with other women to preserve what they've built together. Marwa's story illustrates how access to a safe, inclusive space—combined with psychosocial and life skills support—can plant the seeds for long-term empowerment and resilience. With continued support from the Government of Japan and implementing partners, women like Marwa are not only rebuilding their own lives but helping others do the same. *Marwa's name has been changed to protect her privacy Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN Women - Africa.
RNZ News
11-06-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Warning for period tracking app users
technology crime 37 minutes ago Experts are warning women who use period tracking apps are a goldmine for advertisers, and information from them - in the wrong hands - could result in risks to job prospects, workplace monitoring, health insurance discrimination, cyberstalking, and limit access to abortion. Otago University associate professor Bryndl Hohmann-Marriott spoke to Charlotte Cook.
