TfL & Wavemaker UK partner to stamp out sexual harassment on London transport

Research has revealed shocking figures about the rate of sexual harassment on London Transport. YouGov research reported that over a third (39%) of Londoners have experienced sexual harassment while travelling on public transport; a majority of women (55%) and one in five men (21%) have been victims. Unfortunately, only 2% of victims report incidents.

Wavemaker UK have partnered with TfL on a campaign aiming to tackle sexual harassment on London’s public transport. This campaign aims to raise awareness of what constitutes sexual harassment, demonstrate that TfL and policing partners take a zero-tolerance approach, engage supportive bystanders and encourage both bystanders and targeted persons to report anything that makes them feel uncomfortable.

To bring this incredibly important campaign to life we have worked with a diverse group of media partners to produce long-form and educational content to engage bystander audiences as well as those more likely to be targeted. Read some of these pieces below:

Ladbible – reaching male bystanders: Sexual Harassment needs to stop on London’s public transport.

Playbuzz – an educational quiz targeting all potential bystanders: What Would You Do If You Witnessed Sexual Harassment on London Public Transport?

Pink News – reaching LGBTQ+ community: Sexual harassment isn’t always obvious – but we all must recognise it

Stylist – reaching young women: 4 ways to help if you witness sexual harassment on public transport  and 5 women share their stories of sexual harassment on public transport

Alongside this series of educational editorial content, we’ve also worked with audio partners Acast and Audioplus to create authentic long-form audio content. Podcasters have told deeply personal accounts along with guidance on what to do if you witness or experience sexual harassment, with writer/model Emily Ratajkowski featuring on one of our sponsored shows called Changes. Homo-sapiens features an industry first use of spatial audio in Long Form Content.

While this has been done before on 30 second adverts it has never been done in such depth. The immersive listening experience of the creator’s story is greatly enhanced with the use of directional sounds, especially when enjoying the show through headphones.

Listen to some of the shows that will be live across the next three months: Homo Sapiens, Changes , Price of Football & The Stephen Tries Podcast.

Miranda Leedham Head of Customer Marketing & Behaviour Change at TfL said: “No one should be subjected to sexual harassment on our transport network and we are determined to challenge acceptance of these behaviours. This campaign, combined with tactics to improve education and awareness, is pivotal in demonstrating that any form of sexual harassment will quite simply not be tolerated on our network”.

James Evans Communications Manager at Wavemaker said:

We should all feel safe while travelling on public transport, and we are so proud to have been part of this incredibly important campaign. Societal change is hard, but by helping amplify voices across our different partners and of the wider community to tell one clear story: If you witness or experience sexual harassment of any kind, it’s crucial to report it, to make public transportation a safer place for all.