GoodGym has launched a new training programme specifically designed for men to raise awareness of how their behaviour impacts women in outdoor spaces.
The UN has reported that 97% of women aged 18-24 in the UK have experienced some form of sexual harassment, and this has a huge effect on their ability to enjoy outdoor activities. Many women are forced to alter their exercise habits in winter due to fear of harassment or attack, while some are unable to exercise outdoors at all.
GoodGym, which has a 70% female membership, is determined to ensure that everyone can exercise outdoors without fear. Their training modules include understanding women’s experience of exercising at night, understanding how men can avoid causing harm and how to be an ally to women.
Public spaces in the UK remain hazardous for women, particularly in the evening, and it is men who need to take responsibility for this. GoodGym have developed the training to ensure that men become aware of their behaviour and take steps to change it. Developed in partnership with GoodGymers and women who have experienced this behaviour, the programme is designed to prevent negative behaviour from men, rather than teaching women how to alter their behaviour to avoid it.
GoodGymers run, walk and cycle hundreds of thousands of kilometres every year, with many of these sessions taking place after dark. It is essential that women feel safe to join these sessions, and the new training will help to ensure that they can.
Caroline, a GoodGymer from London, commented: “I run in winter only at rush hour when there are loads of people around and only on well-lit routes. I swerve away from footpaths and vans parked in shadow. I pay close attention to the surfaces I run on – could it cause me to slip/injure myself? Would this make me vulnerable? I never run at my best pace, in case I need a burst of speed in reserve to get away from an attacker”
Ed Field, the Head of Growth and Partnerships for GoodGym, said: “Too many women have to change their exercising habits over the winter due to the behaviour of men. Let’s be clear about this – this is a problem for men to solve, not women. I am proud to announce this training and urge all men to complete it on order to understand how they can make outdoor spaces safe for everyone.”
GoodGym has launched a new training programme in an effort to ensure that women can exercise outdoors without fear. Developed in partnership with GoodGymers and women who have experienced unwanted behaviour, the programme is aimed at educating men on how their behaviour impacts on women and their sense of safety. Ed Field, the Head of Growth and Partnerships for GoodGym, has urged all men to complete the training in order to make outdoor spaces safe for everyone.
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