Safe After Hours

For many women, being scared of the dark isn’t just in the horror movies – it's their reality. Fearing street harassment and sexual violence at night shouldn’t be a part of anyone’s daily experience, but for many women and girls, it is.

According to our research, more than two-thirds of people in Cambridgeshire currently feel unsafe in public areas after dark. It’s even more frightening for women.

After carrying out research across Cambridgeshire, we found that:

More than 1 in 3 Cambridgeshire residents feel unsafe, in danger or fearful:

  • In busy or crowded streets
  • Outside large music/theatre venues
  • Outside pubs and bars
  • Inside nightclubs
  • When taking a taxi alone
  • Using public transport alone
  • In quiet or empty streets.

More than two-thirds of residents feel unsafe, in danger or fearful: 

  • In public spaces alone
  • When cycling
  • Running or taking part in other exercise
  • Outside nightclubs
  • Walking past a group of people
  • Waiting at a taxi rank alone
  • In public parks and green spaces
  • Waiting for public transport alone
  • Walking home alone
  • In run-down areas or neighbourhoods
  • In poorly lit streets or alleyways.

It’s not just the outdoors…

Many women also feel uneasy in indoor spaces at night, such as bars, pubs, restaurants, and nightclubs. We believe it’s important for men to educate themselves and acknowledge how certain actions and words can make women feel at night.

Learning how to identify harmful behaviour is the first step in helping stop violence towards women and girls.

Being an active bystander

It’s important not to ignore the signs of a woman being targeted with harassment or sexual violence. We all have a part to play in making Cambridgeshire safer.

If you suspect a woman is in a potentially threatening or uncomfortable situation when you’re out and about, we have some more advice on how to safely intervene here.