Women who have been groped in nightclubs, followed by strangers and called names have called for an end to street harassment in Nottingham.
Nottingham Women’s Centre says places like bars, trains and nightclubs need to become safer for women.
The group held workshops in the city yesterday, which heard stories of victims being leered at and even aggressively groped in public.
County organisations including Notts Police have also been backing a charter which will ensure women are better protected in public.
Sue Fish, Deputy Chief Constable of Notts Police said: “We’ve learnt a lot in terms of what can be done and where success has happened in other parts of the country or the world in combating street harassment and misogynist hate crime.
“I think the extent of the damage and harm it does to women is really understated. I think it affects the choices that they make so they feel de-valued, humiliated and their choices in life whether it’s which route they take home, how they get to their vehicle, where they go at night or in the day time.”
A victim of street harassment, who asked to be named only as Clare, said: “There are very different experiences I’m sorry to say. A lot of it is just walking around, walking down Mansfield Road, walking through town, having guys just shout random stuff at me.
“It’s really embarrassing and it makes me feel like I don’t have the right to walk though my own city just minding my own business without getting harassed.
“The main thing I wanted to get out of this is to understand what can we actually do. What can women do whilst keeping themselves safe to make this improve in the future?”
Following the meeting, a plan of action of how women can be better protected is being drawn up and rolled out across the city and county.
