New guidance to make gyms safer spaces for females

ukactive and Sport England’s ‘This Girl Can’ campaign, in partnership with CIMSPA and Women’s Aid, have published new resources to help fitness and leisure facilities continue to create safer spaces for women and girls to be active.

Launched on the newly updated Safer Spaces to Move hub, the resources cover a range of operator guidance and provide operators with staff training modules to ensure they have the foundational protocols in place to respond to any instances of sexual harassment and intimidation, should they occur.

There are two new resources. The Operator Handbook contains recommendations for operational policies and guidance, advising on best practice in response to sexual harassment or intimidation reported within a facility. Separately, the Staff Training Modules have been designed to help staff recognise and understand sexual harassment and intimidation and know how to respond to incidents.

The modules are free of charge and available to any fitness or leisure operator to download.

Research shows that sexual harassment is prevalent across society, with 71% of women of all ages having experienced some form of sexual harassment in a public space.

A survey commissioned by ukactive and This Girl Can in 2023 also found that four in 10 (42%) women said they had experienced at least one form of sexual harassment or intimidation, such as inappropriate comments, staring, or encroachment of personal space while in a gym or leisure facility.