Great Western Railways sings the White Ribbon pledge to end violence against women and girls

GWR signed up to become White Ribbon accredited, demonstrating the organisation's commitment to take action to prevent and address domestic violence and abuse.

White ribbons are a symbol of awareness and activism against domestic violence, particularly violence against women. Wearing a white ribbon is a way to show solidarity with victims and survivors of domestic violence and to raise awareness about the issue.  

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), an estimated 2.3 million adults aged 16 to 74 years experienced domestic abuse in England and Wales in the year ending March 2020:

• Women are disproportionately affected by domestic abuse, with an estimated 1.6 million women experiencing domestic abuse compared to 757,000 men.
• Domestic abuse can take many forms, including physical violence, emotional or psychological abuse, sexual abuse, financial abuse, and controlling or coercive behaviour.
• Domestic abuse can have severe and long-lasting impacts on victims, including physical injuries, mental health problems, and even death. In the year ending March 2020, there were an estimated 2.3 million victims of domestic abuse-related crimes in England and Wales.
• Domestic abuse can also have wider societal impacts, including increased healthcare costs, lost productivity in the workplace, and impacts on children who witness or experience abuse.
• Despite the prevalence and severity of domestic abuse, it remains underreported and under-prosecuted. In the year ending March 2020, there were 758,941 domestic abuse-related offences recorded by the police in England and Wales, but only 63,648 prosecutions and 48,440 convictions.

The White Ribbon accreditation further supports GWR's continuous efforts to create a safe and supportive workplace culture where all employees are treated with respect and dignity. Having created their 3-year action plan and guidance pack for managers and colleagues, the organisation recently launched their Domestic Violence and Abuse Policy.

Signing the pledge is an important milestone in GWR's journey to promote policies and procedures within the workplace that support employees affected by domestic violence, such as flexible working arrangements or access to counselling or support services.

Employee networks at GWR will play a vital role in achieving this aim, helping to raise awareness of domestic violence and its impact on individuals and communities within the workplace, while promoting positive and healthy relationships, challenging harmful attitudes and behaviours and encouraging respectful and non-violent interactions. Networks are also encouraged to partner with local or national domestic violence prevention organisations/charities to support their work and raise funds for their programmes.

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