Home / How hospitality is protecting women and girls
19th June 2026
Rebecca Egan, Specialist Licensing Paralegal
Most people have heard of the safety schemes within the hospitality industry, currently in place, to protect women and girls, schemes such as Ask For Angela, Best Bar None, Pubwatch to name a few.
Nearly every business you visit will have at least one of these schemes in place which is great. Even so, some of you will be unfortunate enough to have had to rely on these schemes and sadly, a lot of you will have felt unsafe and/or subjected to unwanted attention if not worse.
Statistics show us that at the end of March 2025, 5.1million people had experienced domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking. It is therefore no surprise that businesses are getting behind the government’s Enough campaign whilst also working more closely with other third sector organisations.
Further to a roundtable meeting with representatives of various hospitality businesses held at 11 Downing Street, talks have now begun between government and the hospitality sector.
UKHospitality and its members have taken another step forward and have produced an updated guest safety protocol which is currently out for consultation. This will provide guidance on room access procedures, protection of guest privacy and the responsibilities of staff. Additional vulnerability training and safety protocols available will be highlighted within the framework of the policy to complement other safety procedures and support teams already in place.
Violence against women and girls is being treated as a top priority by the Government and have set a target to halve violence against women and girls within a decade and are investing £550 million into victim support over the next 3 years. Third-sector organisations which include Rape Crisis and the Suzy Lamplugh Trust will also support businesses in how to identify and report abuse.
If you would like advice on implementing safety protocols or complying with licensing requirements, our specialist licensing law team is here to help. Get in touch at [email protected], or call on 0161 832 3434.