Commitment 1 - Appoint a Champion
Appoint a ‘Champion’ for women’s safety within your organisation.
Make all team members aware of who your Champion is so that they can go to them for advice and resources on women’s safety.
Partner with local GMP Neighbourhood Teams to network and share best practice.
What is a Champion?
A Women’s Safety Champion in your workplace is someone who makes a difference because they are:
- Passionate about helping people understand that women’s safety is a shared responsibility
- Able to give time and resources to undertake meaningful activities and advocate for practical and cultural changes
- Willing to engage colleagues constructively and positively when taking action to address women’s safety, and encouraging others to do so too
- Keen to spread the word about the commitments you have been able to meet
- Able to empower colleagues to challenge unsafe language, behaviours and practice, and support the training agenda.
Who should the Champion be? The Champion could be a manager, the person responsible for licensing, or a member of your HR team if you have one. Ultimately, your organisation will need to decide which member of staff best fits the role of the Champion. Passion is more important than experience here.
Many organisations will hopefully choose a member of staff with the time, energy and ability to inspire others to have honest conversations about this issue. Yes, man can be Champions too!
What will the Champion do?
The Champion will be the point of contact for any work done on this issue, ensuring that the commitments you prioritise are met by your organisation. They will oversee the promotion of a culture of belief at your organisation and share best practice with other organisations.