Women-only carriages: train passengers react to Jeremy Corbyn idea
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Version 0 of 1. Rail passengers have reacted with bemusement to the idea of introducing women-only train carriages in Britain, but women’s groups have welcomed a wider debate on sexual harassment after the idea was floated by Labour leadership candidate Jeremy Corbyn. In a new policy statement, the Islington North MP mooted the idea of separate travelling arrangements for female passengers if women called for the idea, alongside suggestions for a 24-hour hotline for women to report harassment, tougher rules for licence holders on reporting assaults on their premises and cabinet members for women’s safety on local councils. Related: Ladies! You won’t be leading the Labour party, so here’s a women-only train carriage | Anne Perkins But it is the idea of women-only carriages – which were abolished on British Rail trains in 1977, having been introduced in 1874 – that captured the headlines. The idea – which Corbyn says has been raised by “some women” he has spoken to about the issue – was not widely welcomed by passengers at King’s Cross station on Wednesday. Retired teacher June Appleby, 63, pulled no punches. “It’s a daft idea,” she said. “I really don’t think separating men and women would make me feel that much safer. It actually sounds like it would be really expensive.” Peter Fielder, 83, said: “Separate carriages for men and women sounds like a retrograde step to me. With the emancipation of women, if I can call it that, segregation seems like a step back. The other thing is that if a woman’s in trouble, if men are around they’ll be able to come and help her.” Women’s groups welcomed the idea of a consultation on women’s safety from the Corbyn camp, but were critical of the idea of women-only carriages which some argued put the focus on the victim rather than tackling alleged perpetrators. “It is positive that he is talking about sexual harassment and getting other people to think about it but the policy itself is rubbish,” said journalist and feminist campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez. “The answer is never to limit where women can go but to tackle the men who are carrying out this type of abuse.” There was “no easy solution” to making women feel safe, but deep-seated inequality throughout society had to be tackled, she added. “We need to change our culture, education, the portrayal of women in the media, and participation in politics. Until that changes certain men will continue to think they have an entitlement to women’s bodies and behave in the same way.” The mooted policy consultation on sexual harassment comes after the British Transport Police annual report revealed a 25% increase in the number of sexual offences on public transport reported in the past year. According to the latest figures from the BTP there were about 1,400 sex attacks on public transport last year. But the increase can be seen as a positive for those campaigning to end sexual harassment, as it comes after two high-profile campaigns run by the BTP – Project Guardian and Report it to Stop it. Project Guardian began in 2013 after a TfL safety and security survey revealed that one in 10 Londoners experienced unwanted sexual behaviour on public transport, but over 90% did not report it to the police. Laura Bates, founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, which charts women’s daily experiences of gender inequality and who took part in the BTP consultation, said it was important to recognise that women-only carriages was not a Corbyn policy, but a consultation idea, adding that “discussing issues that impact women with women” was a positive move. “On women-only carriage in particular, I think it is looking at the wrong end of the problem,” she said. “It sends the message that harassment and sexual abuse is inevitable and somehow innate, which is not only hugely insulting to the majority of men but also gives a free pass to perpetrators. It very much plays into victim-blaming, which is already a huge problem.” She called for more police forces to follow the BTP’s lead in promoting messages, such as poster campaigns, to encourage women to report abuse. A spokesman for British Transport Police said tackling sexual offences and unwanted sexual behaviour was a challenge for everyone involved in the public transport industry. “This increased level of reporting is allowing us to build a clear picture of the scale of the problem facing both the police and commuters,” he said. The BTP was researching the ways other countries had tackled the problem, he said and was “exploring a number of new approaches including encouraging more active engagement from bystanders, developing new technology to increase methods of reporting and working to understand the motivation of offenders.” The idea of women-only carriages was soundly rejected by London Underground in 1997 on the grounds of expense. A spokesman said at the time: “We considered the idea 10 years ago, but ruled it out on grounds of expense because our trains are one-person operated. The logistics of turning each train into one with a carriage reserved for women would be a nightmare.” David Sidebottom, passenger director at the independent watchdog Transport Focus, said that in general rail travel in particular was a very safe way to get around, with eight out of 10 passengers “satisfied with their personal security.” “Passengers tell us that they feel the best deterrent against crime is a visible staff and police presence on trains and at stations,” he said. “Passengers will welcome the continued efforts of British Transport Police and the rail industry to reduce assaults on public transport and to encourage more of us to report incidents.” The fear over costs was reiterated by some commuters. “I struggle to see how our train services could handle it,” said Vikram Sahota, a 29-year-old medical underwriter. “Most trains I get are already overcrowded so this sounds like it will just make it worse. It might be helpful for vulnerable people I suppose but it’s just a short term solution.” Jim Marley, a 73-year-old retiree, jokingly suggested a more unorthodox way to deal with the issue of sexual harassment on public transport, labelling women only carriages a “ridiculous idea”. “Just get up and punch the bloke if he’s doing something, or scream for that matter,” he said. “I thought women were meant to be more assertive these days anyway.” |