Research project
Safer Parks for Women and Girls
- Start date: 1 January 2022
- End date: 31 March 2023
- Funding: UK Home Office
- Value: £98,142
- Primary investigator: Dr Anna Barker
- Co-investigators: Professor George Holmes (School of Earth and Environment)
This study explores women and girls’ perceptions of safety in parks as part of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority-led Safer Streets 3 project, funded by the Home Office.
Led by Dr Anna Barker and Professor George Holmes, this research project team includes research fellows/assistants Sally Osei-Appiah, Sibylla Warrington-Brown, Lauren Cape-Davenhill and Rizwana Alam. Partners include West Yorkshire Combined Authority and women’s groups in each West Yorkshire district.
This research project aims to gather women and girls’ views on what makes parks feel safe or unsafe places to visit, and what might make parks feel safer and more welcoming places.
The project team will interview a diverse sample of women and girls of different ages (16+) and backgrounds across West Yorkshire, and run 10 listening groups with teenage girls (13-17 years old). Interviews will also be held with professionals involved in making strategic and everyday decisions in the design, management and community safety of parks in West Yorkshire.
Using Q methodology, the project aims to identify shared viewpoints as well as divergence in views, both among women and girls and with professionals, combined with rich descriptions by our interviewees of their views on park safety.