I hosted a discussion event in Parliament recently to discuss the issue of street harassment and to support the launch of Plan International UK's #ISayItsNotOK campaign, which calls on the government to recognise harassment in public as a form of gender-based violence.
We’ve taken child sexual exploitation much more seriously and this is an extension of that, we need to change mindsets and take this seriously.
Plan UK's latest survey shows that 66% of girls aged 14 to 21 have experienced unwanted sexual attention or harassment in a public place. And every month, 38% are experiencing verbal harassment like catcalling, wolf whistling and sexual comments, while 15% are being touched, groped or grabbed.
Despite this harassment happening in public, only 20% of girls said someone had responded in a way they found helpful. And to stay safe, girls are having to take steps to avoid being targeted: from not going out at night to dressing differently and taking longer routes to avoid dangerous locations.