Women across Britain are being subjected to "relentless" sexual harassment in public places and tougher government action is needed to combat street-level abuse, British MPs said in a report released here on Tuesday.
The cross-party group of MPs from the UK Parliament's Women and Equalities Committee studied the issue over nine months and concluded that sexual harassment of women and girls is "so ingrained in our culture that it is often hidden in plain sight".
The House of Commons Committee heard evidence from victims of street-level harassment and found the widespread nature of the abuse ranged from being shouted at and cat-called through to sexual assaults on public transport, in bars and clubs and through online spaces.
"Women feel the onus is put on them to avoid 'risky' situations all of this keeps women and girls unequal," said Maria Miller, Conservative Party MP and Chair of the Committee.
"Sexual harassment in public places is a regular experience for many women and girls in the street, in bars and clubs, on buses and trains, at university and online. It is the most common form of violence against women and girls and the damage is far-reaching. And yet most of it goes unreported," she said.
The committee's report concludes that social attitudes, including disrespect of women and an assumption by some men that they can behave in this way, underpin sexual harassment and makes a series of recommendations to tackle the problem.
These include forcing train and bus operators to take tougher action against sexual harassment and block the viewing of pornography on public transport, ban all non-consensual sharing of intimate images, create a public campaign to change attitudes, and make it a legal obligation for universities to have policies outlawing sexual harassment.
The report also calls on the government to publish a new 'Violence Against Women and Girls' strategy and take an evidence-based approach to addressing the harms of pornography, along the lines of road safety and anti-smoking campaigns.
The report noted that "sexual harassment affects the lives of nearly every woman in the UK. Most experience harassment at some point, many start to experience it when they are still children, and are harassed so frequently that it becomes a routine part of everyday life".
"Even when sexual harassment is not taking place directly, memory or fear of it affects women's behaviour and choices and restricts their freedom to be in public spaces. This is not acceptable, and women and girls should not be expected to endure it. The damage done by sexual harassment needs to be better reflected in policy and law," it said.
It adds that while the UK government has pledged to eliminate sexual harassment of women and girls by 2030 as part of its international obligations, there was "no evidence of any programme to achieve this".
The UK Home Office said it has pledged 100 million pounds in funding until 2020 to help local services combat violence against women and girls and would look into the new report's recommendations.
A Home Office spokesperson said, "Unwelcome advances that intimidate, degrade or humiliate women and girls are an abuse of power and unlawful. Whether in the home, the workplace or in public, sexual harassment is unacceptable. The government has made protecting women and girls from all forms of violence, and supporting victims and survivors a key priority".
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