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VAWG, What About Safety In Our Gyms And Sports Centres?
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Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) is rightly a top Government priority as we see regular reports in the media about the high levels of abuse that women and girls face on a daily basis in the public realm. Last week an article on the BBC news website highlighted a growing concern about the safety of women and girls as they work out in gyms.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-65103002
A recent survey in Nottinghamshire highlighted some very alarming statistics, 25% of the 400 women surveyed stated that they had experienced an uncomfortable interaction with other gym users and had also been the recipient of inappropriate comments, and just as worryingly, a third said these behaviours had forced them to either leave that gym session or stop going altogether, also it was reported that 75% of these behaviours go unreported. A question we have to ask is why do so many women and girls not report these behaviours that clearly cause them harm and anxiety.
In a video featured in the “Women Agenda” media organisation article on the same subject, several women recount their experiences whilst using Gyms in the UK. Please see the link below to the video
As a man, I feel very uncomfortable viewing the video as I once again think about how some male behaviours can have such a devastating impact on women’s and girls’ lives. Gyms, like schools, should be a safe environment for women and girls to go to, however, as we have seen from the “Everyone’s Invited” website even schools which are highly regulated cannot guarantee girls’ safety.
I noted in the video an interview with a strategic director of a gym company who spoke about the policies and procedures that they have in place to deal with inappropriate behaviours by either staff or gym members, however, policies and procedures are one thing but actions and interventions are another. Both of the two women interviewed had reported their concerns to the staff but sadly nothing was done and the response was very poor. From my own reflection, I can say that I have reported concerns about young men’s behaviours whilst using mobile phones in the gym I used to attend, the response was muted and nothing seemed to have been done about it. Organisations can have every single policy and procedure ever developed, I think here of some sports NGBs, yet if the culture within an organisation is not firmly aligned and embedded towards safeguarding then nothing will change.
I have been a member at three gyms in Derby and not once in any induction process did any of the gym staff mention anything about personal conduct and behaviour, I’ve never seen any information about who to go to if I want to report inappropriate behaviour or poor conduct and I have not seen any public-facing notices about the use of mobile phones in gyms.
I discussed this article with colleagues in our office, and one of their responses is below;
“As you can imagine walking through the weights area as a woman is intimidating but why should it be? As a regular at the gym, I’ve had my fair share of unwanted stares and opinions on “how to lift” or “Is that too heavy for you” from strangers standing right behind me that left me feeling embarrassed and small. I welcome the safer gym group plans that Nottingham police have released but feel the reach needs to stretch further so that everyone feels safe and confident when working out. – Emma NWG Network Assistant”
The Safer Gym Group is an excellent initiative by Nottinghamshire Police and we commend their actions, we are delighted to see that gym owners are already buying into this campaign, however, ideally we would like to see this proactive safeguarding intervention in every sports centre and gym in the UK.
Tackling VAWG is a huge task that we all, especially men, have a part to play and it’s clear that we need more men to become active bystanders in gyms across the country but also the owners of the facilities need to be more proactive in challenging inappropriate and abusive behaviour from their staff and members.
Please see the link below to the Everyone’s Invited websites.
https://www.everyonesinvited.uk/
As always, the NWG Network are happy to talk with any of our colleagues who may read our blogs and media articles, we would be delighted to hear your views on this blog and also share with us what you are doing in your facility to keep women and girls safe.
If you would like a chat or want to share your news/story then please do contact me on the details listed below.
Kevin Murphy
Safeguarding in Sport Lead
NWG Network
Office: 01332 585371
Mobile 07399 449045
Email: [email protected]
Secure Email: [email protected]