Our work is driven by our Safety Survey 2021
The Leeds Women’s Safety Survey was carried out in May 2021 and 1,371 women of all ages and from all parts of the city took part. The findings provide a powerful insight into their experience of feeling and being safe in the city.
The results from the survey will shape Women Friendly Leeds’ work for many years to come.
What is a Women Friendly City?
The United Nations Women’s ‘Safe cities and safe public spaces‘ initiative is a study featuring recommendations about how cities can improve safety in public spaces for women and girls.
UNICEF, UN Women and UN Habitat have designed some potential interventions local authorities across the world can adopt to take action to increase safety and prevent and reduce violence and harrassment against women and girls.
At Women Friendly Leeds, our aim is to mobilise women and girls to have their voices heard, ensure that their needs are considered in all decision making and empower women and girls to lead safer, healthier, equal and more fulfilled lives.
What about everyone else?
The initiative is driven by safety for women and girls in Leeds and to ensure their interests and voices are represented. This is not to say only women experience violence and harrassment, however, evidence shows women and girls have disproportionately negative experiences based on their gender. We believe that a Leeds that is better for women is a Leeds that is better for everyone.
Women fall into a wide range of intersectional categories; whether it’s race, sexuality, class, disability, age, gender, or something else. We want Leeds to be better for all. We encourage women from all demographics to get involved.
More about the UN initiative
Cities across the world are taking action to prevent and reduce violence against women and girls. This can include introducing new laws and policies, ensuring safety when planning public spaces and helping to change social and cultural norms.
London, Calgary, Madrid, De Nang, Bogota and Brussels are just some of the cities considering women and girls’ safety as a priority in public spaces.
You can read more about the UN initiative by following the links below:
Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces Global Initiative Report 2025
Blog
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