A charity in Cardiff says education for young people is needed to make the city feel safer for women.
Chwarae Teg, which champions women’s issues, says that teaching children about safety and gender roles would be the most effective way to avoid future problems in Cardiff and across Wales.
It comes after Cardiff’s Public Service Board report revealed last weekend that less than half of women are comfortable walking around the city at night.
It also says that only 45% of disabled women feel safe in the city centre after dark, and 10% feel “very unsafe”.
The council has said that it will look to secure a Purple Flag accreditation for the city. This is a status which signals excellence in managing an area’s night time economy, and works in a similar way to Blue Flag scheme which is awarded to beaches.
Other plans suggested by the council include a 24-hour public transport service for the city.
But Chwarae Teg says that although it welcomes any efforts to make the city safer, more also need to be done to change people’s attitudes. The charity has worked with women in Wales for 25 years, and aims to promote ideas of equality.
Natasha Davies, Policy & Research Lead at Chwarae Teg, says educating the city’s children is the best way to ensure women feel comfortable after dark. “This highlights the need to take action to make sure that our city centres are safe for everybody in the community, including women,” she said.
“I think the move to introduce 24-hour transport would be a good one. Alongside that, it’s important that we teach young people about healthy relationships, and throughout the education system we are actively challenging ideas about gender.”
Cardiff Council were unavailable for further comment. The report’s findings will be discussed by the council’s cabinet on Thursday.
