Andy Burnham explains how his daughters have 'put his head in the right place' on women's safety in the UK
The UK prime minister has opened up about how his two daughters have directed his focus on women's safety, admitting that men and boys need to be part of the solution.
Andy Burnham believes it's time to stop putting the responsibility on women and girls to protect themselves by taking part in rituals like sharing their location, carrying something to defend themselves with, and not taking certain routes home.
The former Greater Manchester mayor discussed the issue during an appearance on LADbible's Agree to Disagree, where he reflected on how being a father to two girls has shaped his understanding of women's experiences.
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Speaking about the 2021 murder of Sarah Everard, Burnham, 56, explained how the tragedy prompted a conversation with his family that he hadn't really had before.
“People always have said it to some degree, but I think it has got worse for your generation," he began, talking about modern-day violence against women. "So my daughter - I've got two daughters and a son - but two daughters are broadly in your age group.
"And I remember when Sarah Everard was killed in appalling circumstances, I had a conversation with my daughters that I hadn't really had before about those type of things."
'I've got to turn this conversation around to men, lads, and boys'
Burnham continued: "Because obviously people say to young women, 'Oh, stay with your group. Carry your keys in your fingers', or, 'Don't go that way home'."
The conversation appears to have helped him reflect on where responsibility for women's safety should lie.
"I've got to turn this conversation around to men, lads, and boys because they're creating the problem here. And yet we're trying to put it all on women to change what they do."
It's a point that has been raised repeatedly in discussions about violence against women and girls - women are often advised about how to avoid becoming victims, while less attention is paid to challenging the behaviour of perpetrators.
Burnham went on to say his daughters have 'got my head in the right place'.
The Labour leader spoke about Greater Manchester's 'Is This Okay?' campaign, which aimed to highlight the everyday experiences that can make women feel unsafe.
"We did a video of a young woman going running," he explained. "She was going through her day basically, starting with running, and then going to work on the bus, and it had such an impact because it was just showing the little micro comments and the harassment that she was getting, you know?
"And it doesn't always have to be the worst kind. It's just a way somebody might look at you or sit too close to you on the bus or, you know?"
The campaign focused on the smaller interactions that can be dismissed by others but still contribute to women's experiences of harassment and feeling unsafe.
'There's a whole sea change that's needed'
Burnham acknowledged that there was no simple answer in how to change things. "It's a hard one, but it's about education part of it," he confessed.
"You know, making sure, as I say, men, lads, and boys understand how their behaviour can make somebody else feel.
"But then there's a whole other thing around the most serious crimes and the way that they're investigated, the way women are treated in the criminal justice system, not made to feel like they're on trial, which is how they can sometimes feel.
"So there's a whole sea change that's needed. But yeah, my daughters have got my head in the right place on this one."
Burnham's latest comments come just weeks after he spoke out about survivors of abuse in the UK struggling to access justice.
'Shamefully low'
In a video shared on X last month, Burnham described the experiences of survivors attempting to navigate the criminal justice system as 'impossible'.
"That's how the survivors of violence and sexual crimes have described their experiences trying to get justice, and no wonder," he noted. "Prosecution rates for rape are up under this government, but they are still shamefully low.
"Victims suffer years of delays, often dropping out of the justice system. Those who persevere find the process of having to confront their abuser and recount their abuse in court deeply traumatising."
'I won't stop fighting for this'
He continued by calling for changes to ensure victims are better supported throughout the process.
"It's clearly time to rebalance the scales of justice to put victims first," Burnham promised. "That's why we're putting specialist rape and sexual offences courts in every Crown Court across the country to reduce unacceptable delays in rape cases and end the agonising wait that stops people moving on with their lives."
He also outlined measures intended to make the court process less distressing for vulnerable victims.
"We're updating court buildings to include separate entrances and private rooms for vulnerable victims, creating new victim support roles in court.
"And I'm speeding up the timeline for all police forces in England and Wales to have a specialist rape and sexual offences team.”
But he stressed that changes to the justice system must go hand in hand with efforts to prevent abuse before it happens.
"We must also do everything we can to prevent these crimes from ever taking place. That starts with the next generation making sure they're taught about healthy relationships, online harms and positive role models in school," he said.
"If we're really going to shift the dial, every part of government and every part of society will have to work together. But I won't stop fighting for this until women and girls are able to live their lives free from abuse and violence."
Women's Aid has set out the need for political commitments centred on minimising violence against women to be backed by practical action, including properly funded specialist services, support for survivors and efforts to challenge misogyny.
In its response to Andy Burnham being named as Keir Starmer's replacement earlier this year, the charity highlighted the importance of working across government to tackle violence against women and girls and ensuring survivors can access the support they need.
"We look forward to working with him and his government, to drive forward the Labour manifesto pledge to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG)," they said in a statement.
"While we welcome the measures introduced so far, we need to see much faster progress on tackling the national emergency that is domestic abuse.
"Ending Violence Against Women and Girls will take a true commitment, across all levels of government and society. It is only by working together that we can ensure that women and children are finally safe."
Topics: Andy Burnham, Politics, UK News
Rhianna Benson