In January 2023, Dr Caroline Miles and Professor Rose Broad from The University of Manchester commenced an N8 funded project, ‘The abuse of women who run: experiences, perceptions and fears’, working with Greater Manchester Police and Merseyside police. The research involves 1) analysing police data on recorded incidents of abuse experienced by women runners; 2) analysing survey data on the experiences and fears of abuse by women who run across Greater Manchester and Merseyside and 3) audio diaries recorded by women runners about their day-to-day experiences and decision-making processes around running.

On Monday 6 November, Caroline and Rose will be hosting a 2-part event as part of the ESRC Festival of Social Sciences, ‘Tackling street harassment of women: access and barriers to being active’. This event brings together findings from their research with two other Manchester based projects focusing on women’s safety in public spaces: ‘Right to the Streets’, a Trafford-based project funded by Home Office Safer Streets aiming to make streets safer by tackling gender-based harassment and violence (Eve Holt, Strategic Director for GM Moving); and ‘What Women Want’, funded by the ESRC IAA which surveyed Greater Manchester women about their perceptions of safety and their experiences of walking and cycling in the region (Dr Rosalind Shorrocks, University of Manchester).

The first part of the event (by invitation only) is a mini-conference presenting findings from the three projects to share learning and generate discussion and strategic plans amongst key stakeholders, policy-makers, planners, urban designers, senior leaders and relevant charities.

The second part of the event, (open to the public), will showcase visual outputs from the three projects and provide visitors the opportunity to complete short cards reflecting on their thoughts about the three projects, how they relate to their own experience in Greater Manchester, and what people would like to see in the future.

• To book the event please go to Eventbrite.