The OPCCN is taking part in White Ribbon UK’s Right to Respect Campaign
We are proud to announce our involvement in White Ribbon UK’s Right to Respect campaign.
Taking place throughout June 2025, the campaign is aimed at creating safer, more respectful, and inclusive workplaces.
The Worker Protection Act 2023, which came into force in October 2024, places a new legal duty on employers to proactively prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. This marks a significant shift from reactive interventions and responses, with employers now required to take meaningful steps to ensure the safety and dignity of their employees before harm takes place.
A recent Trades Union Congress survey found that three in five women have experienced sexual harassment, bullying, or verbal abuse at work. Working with White Ribbon UK, we are determined to reduce this to zero.
At the OPCCN, we join White Ribbon UK as we aim to demonstrate that everyone deserves to be and feel respected and safe in all aspects of their lives through our organisation’s commitment to a future where respect is a fundamental right at work.
Mark Stokes, Chief Executive of the OPCCN and Chair of the Norfolk Community Safety Partnership said:
“We are proud to have held our White Ribbon Accreditation since 2022 and as an office we continue to work with our partners across Norfolk to tackle violence against women and girls. We are the biggest funder of domestic abuse and sexual violence services locally, holding the police to account for their key role in responding to this issue and chairing the strategic Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Group for Norfolk. We can all challenge harmful behaviours in our workplaces and we are helping employers and employees to do this by expanding our active bystander training programme across the county. We will continue to spread the message across Norfolk that violence against women and girls should not and will not be tolerated.”
Lynne Elliot, CEO of White Ribbon UK, said: “With our 'Right to Respect' campaign, White Ribbon UK is supporting employers across the UK to meet their responsibilities and build workplaces where everyone is respected, safe and valued. It's not that women don't feel safe at work - they are not safe. 58% of women in a TUC poll in 2023 had experienced sexual harassment, bullying or verbal abuse at work. And almost the same number (57%) had experienced three or more incidents of bullying at work. This means these are not isolated incidents, and it is not occasional. The 2023 Worker Protection Act came into force last October, so employers now have a legal duty to take steps to prevent bullying, harassment and sexual harassment in the workplace - and to keep people safe. We are here to help, and we are determined to make sure employers know their responsibilities and employees know their rights.”
About White Ribbon UK
White Ribbon UK is the leading charity engaging men and boys to prevent violence against women and girls in England and Wales. Their mission is to prevent men’s violence against women and girls by addressing its root causes — harmful and dominant masculine norms. They strive to change long-established attitudes, behaviours and systems around masculinity that perpetuate gender inequality and men’s violence against women.
For more information about White Ribbon UK