Registered women’s charity, Soroptimist International Great Britain & Ireland (SIGBI), is celebrating its 90th year by relaunching its national railway safety project.
On 1-3 November, the charity – which has consultancy status at the United Nations – held its 90th conference at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh and used this milestone occasion to take a fresh look at a project first carried out 28 years ago.
First launched in 1996, ‘The Future of the Railways’ was an investigation into personal safety on the railways, which the charity’s members – known as Soroptimists – used to lobby the Government into taking action to do more to protect women on public transport.
It was launched in response to a Soroptimist being attacked on a train in the London area.
Soroptimists carried out grassroots research into the views and experiences of women passengers, as well as speaking to station managers and staff and visiting over 500 over-ground stations across Britain.
SIGBI published a report making recommendations to the UK Government on how to improve safety in stations, claiming the Government’s approach to passenger safety in railway stations was ineffective.
To further advance the work being done, the charity is kickstarting the project again – asking the same questions to the UK’s railway stations, to see how much has changed, as well as expanding it to airports and bus stations, to obtain a more detailed bigger picture of women’s safety across the country. The charity is also questioning whether the Government’s approach to passenger safety has moved on since 1996.
Over 500 women attended the three-day conference, with each day having a different theme – educate, empower, and enable.
Ruth Healey, President of SIGBI, said: “We’re so proud of the work our members have carried out over the last 90 years.
“The goal of all our projects is to stand up for women and girls, advocating for equal rights, opportunities, and representation. The relaunch of our railway safety project will be key in advancing this important issue and bringing it to the forefront of policy makers’ agendas.
“It was only in August this year that the British Transport Police reported that violence against women and girls on British railways has risen by more than 50% over two years.
“Clearly, more needs to be done, and urgently. We’re proud to be playing our part in helping to shape a safer environment for women when travelling.”
Soroptimists are carrying out ‘Bystander Awareness’ training in communities up and down the UK, in a bid to help identify and prevent violence against women and girls.
As well as panel discussions, and an address from Baroness Floella Benjamin, the charity also hosted its Best Practice Awards at the conference – a scheme which celebrates clubs’ projects.
At the conference, the charity also collected over 2,300 pants for Edinburgh-based charity, Smalls for All – a charity that collects underwear for people in the UK and Africa who can’t afford or access any.
Maria Macnamara, Founder and CEO of Smalls for All, said: “Giving pants and bras may seem like a small thing, but it can make a life-changing difference. Each month many teenage girls miss school, and women miss work, because of a lack of access to underwear means they’re forced to stay at home during their period.
“Demand remains huge in Africa, but, in recent years, has also increased significantly in the UK.
“We’re so grateful to have been part of the SIGBI conference to share our message and express our thanks to the Soroptimists for the wonderful donations they’ve made, both at this conference and over the years.”
Ruth concluded: “It’s been incredible getting so many Soroptimists in one room to reflect on what we’ve achieved, as well as to look ahead to the next phase of some of our key projects.
“It’s only by working together that we can empower women and girls to achieve their full potential and eliminate barriers and discriminations that hinder women’s progress.”
To mark the charity’s nine decades, Soroptimists are also completing a ‘90 for 90 years’ challenge – including everything from supporting foodbanks, to knitting for premature baby units, to donating items to domestic abuse charities, and more.