Does Cowley Road know Angela?
The "Ask Angela" initiative is rolled out throughout the UK as a "discrete lifeline", for those who feel unsafe, but do bar staff really have our backs?
On 13th November 2024, the BBC released undercover footage of bars and pubs in London who had signed up for a scheme to protect customers who felt unsafe, not enforcing it.
According to the YouGov website, “53% of women experience sexual harassment in a pub, club and bar”. “Ask Angela” is there to prevent this happening.
After contacting three major pubs along Cowley road, involving the “Ask Angela” initiative, only one replied. They stated,
“We are indeed aware of the scheme and all of our bar staff are aware of what to do in the event that a customer does indeed “Ask for Angela”.
They continued by praising the scheme and also adding,
“Whilst pubs and venues are aware of the scheme we think the general public are less aware”
When Oxford Brookes students were asked how likely they were to ask bar staff for help along Cowley road, one said,
“I don’t think they would have the training to help”, with another saying they have a “fear of rejection”
Although this information is regarded as promising by some, others feel that there needs to be more measures put in place to protect women in major cities.