South Western Railway (SWR) has become White Ribbon accredited for its action to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG).
As part of the accreditation programme, SWR and White Ribbon UK will develop and deliver a three-year action plan to prevent and combat gender-based abuse on trains, at stations and elsewhere on the railway.
By becoming White Ribbon accredited, the train operator joined its integrated infrastructure counterpart Network Rail Wessex (NR Wessex), which is already accredited as part of Network Rail.
Since 2022, SWR has supported the White Ribbon UK campaign to end violence against women and girls, with the White Ribbon logo displayed on SWR Desiro trains to spread the message around the South of England.
For White Ribbon Day (25 November) last year, SWR and NR Wessex joined other publicly owned railways in the ‘Race the Dark’ event. Colleagues joined a service at stations between Weymouth and London Waterloo to raise awareness of gender-based abuse.
Angela Prescott, Health, Safety, Security and Environment Director of South Western Railway and Network Rail Wessex, said:
“While we have supported White Ribbon UK for the past four years, it is an important recognition of our commitment to ending violence against women and girls to become White Ribbon accredited.
“We are determined to work with the wider industry and our partners to prevent and combat gender-based abuse and challenge unacceptable behaviour wherever it is found on our network.
“We encourage everyone to join us in supporting the White Ribbon campaign. By tackling this urgent issue together, we can create a safer railway and society for all.”
Lynne Elliot, Chief Executive of White Ribbon UK, said:
“We’re really pleased to see South Western Railway demonstrating its commitment to preventing violence against women and girls through its White Ribbon accreditation.
"Accreditation is about creating lasting change across an organisation, from the policies, culture and support provided to employees, to the role it can play in challenging harmful attitudes and behaviours more widely. It’s encouraging to see South Western Railway making that commitment both for its colleagues and for the millions of people who use its network.
"Everyone has a role to play in challenging the attitudes and behaviours that contribute to violence against women and girls, and we look forward to working with South Western Railway as it delivers its three-year action plan.”
As an integrated business, SWR and NR Wessex have adopted the industry’s wider VAWG strategy, a joint plan by the railway and British Transport Police (BTP) to reduce incidents affecting customers and colleagues across the national network.
This includes improving reporting and victim support and creating a culture where unacceptable behaviour is consistently challenged.
The strategy builds on progress SWR has made by achieving top marks in BTP’s Safeguarding on Rail Scheme accreditation for the past three years, demonstrating an exceptional commitment to keeping customers and colleagues safe.
Initiatives to enhance the safety of women and girls include providing safe spaces for anyone who is feeling vulnerable to seek support at stations like London Waterloo and Richmond and the appointment and training of colleague safeguarding champions.
Under public ownership, SWR and NR Wessex will be the first integrated business to apply for the new Safer Railway Scheme accreditation, which is succeeding the Safeguarding on Rail Scheme.
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