Stride towards safer streets as law on public sexual harassment comes into force

Since the Protection from Sex-Based Harassment in Public Act came into place in September 2023, it has been unclear what kind of behaviours are covered by the law and victims have faced a lack of support and understanding from the police. In that time window alone, Plan International UK and Our Streets Now estimates over 1.5 million young women aged 16-24 have faced harassment.  

Now, for the first time, the guidance provides clarity about specific behaviours which are illegal, taking into account whether the nature of the harassment is gendered, so that the Act can be enforced. Victims can now use the Act to seek police support, while police and courts can now use it to prosecute perpetrators. 

Rose Caldwell, CEO at Plan International UK says:  

“Everyone deserves to move through public spaces without fear. For too long, girls and young women have been left alone to navigate harassment that chips away at their confidence, dignity and freedom. Today marks a long-overdue shift that will make a genuine difference to their lives. 

“As the Protection from Sex-Based Harassment in Public Act comes into force, we now have clear guidance that names these behaviours for what they are: illegal and unacceptable. Girls shouldn’t have to fear uninvited touching on public transport or accept that it’s ‘just the way things are’ when they get catcalled on the street.  

“This is a win for all those who campaigned for safer streets and really matters in a world where we are seeing women and girls’ rights increasingly under attack. We’ll keep advocating to ensure victims feel safe to report this crime and continue banging the drum that this must be paired with prevention. This includes tackling misogyny early in our schools. Without addressing root causes of sexual harassment, we won't fix the system that holds us all back from a fairer world.” 

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Notes to editors: 

• The Protection from Sex-Based Harassment in Public Act passed into law in 2023 following a three-year campaign by youth activists alongside Plan International UK and Our Streets Now to criminalise public sexual harassment. Launched in 2020, the #CrimeNotCompliment campaign amassed tens of thousands of supporters and led to the introduction of the Bill by former MP Greg Clark to Parliament. 
• 1.5 million figure methodology - Estimates are based on CSEW data that 23.5% of women aged 16-to-24 reported experiences of sexual harassment in the last 12 months combined with ONS population figures for women aged 16–24 in England & Wales. Figures are extrapolations from public data; some women may have experienced harassment in both years and appear twice in our estimates, and definitions of harassment may differ.