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‘Ask for Angela’ and Other Women’s Safety Tips
Published: April 22, 2022 | Last Updated: August 29, 2023
Since the Sarah Everard case made national headlines last year and the Sabina Nessa case did the same in recent months, the issues of gender equality and women’s safety in public have become more heavily and frequently debated.
Understandably so, as women are faced with sexual violence or gender-based violence so frequently and at such a scale that it’s rare they even feel safe at all.
Situational Awareness for Women
Advanced Tactical Resources provide professional training courses in specialisms such as self-defence, close protection, travel safety and situational awareness, to name a few. Situational awareness and decision-making are at the forefront of all our bespoke training, which, when taught and reinforced, can drastically improve how safe and ‘in control’ you feel in any situation.
In this guide, we’ll look closer at social occasions as an example, specifically ones that continue past sunset and therefore present a scenario where women are more susceptible to attacks.
This type of scenario is quite familiar to some, as is the underlying anxiety and stress you may feel as you prepare to make your return journey home. We’ll examine some general safety tips and how we, as situational awareness training providers, can help you feel even more confident that you’ll return home safely.
Top Tips for Staying Safe at Night
1. Share Your Plans
It’s always wise to keep a relative or close friend in the loop of how your night’s going. Plan your journey and share all details, including arrival times and locations, with those close to you so they can take action if something goes wrong. Keep them in the loop as much as possible.
2. Use Your SOS Mobile Emergency Features
Your phone has unique emergency SOS features depending on whether you’re using iOS or Android technology. If you find yourself in a situation where you can’t speak on the phone, you can ping your location to an emergency contact, with some phone models capturing images and audio recordings.
3. Defend Yourself With What’s Available
If you suspect you’re being followed, think about some items in your bag that you could use to defend yourself. This could include keys, pens, hairspray or other similar items. You should always aim for vulnerable body parts for maximum effect, and you can learn these weak points in structured self-defence classes.
4. Take Evasive Action
If you think someone’s following you, walk towards busier roads or dip into an open shop if you spot one. What’s more, if you see someone else, ask them for help. You could also pretend to make a phone call, alluding to a situation where a perpetrator would need to hide - for example, say, “Hello…I’m here, yes. Can you see me?”
5. Confirm Identity of Police Officers
If you end up having to speak with a police officer and are unsure of their genuine intentions, you can call the force control room on 101 to check their identity.
Other Female Safety Tips
Ask for Angela
The ‘Ask for Angela’ campaign was the brainchild of Lincolnshire County Council and was adopted wholly by the London Metropolitan Police in 2016. The initiative has been rolled out to bars, clubs, pubs and other licensed hospitality venues nationwide.
This safety incentive aims to protect women who feel unsafe, vulnerable or threatened. Those experiencing sexual harassment or similar behaviours from other punters can discreetly seek assistance from trained bar staff and team members by asking them for ‘Angela’.
The code word will signal that someone requires help with their situation, and action can be taken to ensure their safety, whether booking a taxi, calling venue security, or alerting the police.
Underpinning this initiative was WAVE (Welfare and Vulnerability Engagement) training, which can be given to organisations through localised police licensing officers.
Women and Child Situational Awareness Training Courses
Similarly to WAVE training, personal safety training courses explore what vulnerabilities could be exploited by attackers, how to identify them and take appropriate action.
As situational awareness experts, we go a step further with this and teach all delegates how to accurately assess their surroundings, understand potential threats and dangers and take decisive action. All courses will cover future states and mental models to consider.
Advanced Tactical Resources create bespoke courses for women and children that incorporate these principles and strategies, which we always allow trainees to practice and refine through scenario-based exercises. This blended approach allows everyone to hone their situational awareness and self-defence skills in a simulated environment, reinforcing the theories taught.
Other Female Safety Tips
Take a look below at our next available training dates at our training centre. Or, to enquire about bespoke training options, please contact the ATR head office directly.
guardian travel - 3-day Hostile Environment Awareness Training
guardian travel - 3-day Hostile Environment Awareness Training
guardian travel - CONDO
guardian travel - Security Awareness Fragile Environments
guardian travel - 3-day Hostile Environment Awareness Training
ATR are not just specialist training and service providers, but for organisations & individuals that require authorised safety equipment, we have products available via our shop.
