Maiden Voyage sees surge in demand for Personal Safety and Active Bystander Training as winter approaches
- Companies now increasingly focused on bolstering staff safety measures
- Training includes easy and effective ways for anyone to support women experiencing harassment in public
LEEDS, UK -- 2 November 2021 – Maiden Voyage (https://Maiden-Voyage.com), the leading specialist provider of business travel safety education and social community for female business travellers, today revealed that it has seen a four-fold increase in demand for its hybrid Personal Safety and Active Bystander Training course during Q3 2021. More companies are investing in practical training for all staff to better ensure their individual safety and that of their communities.
Since the onset of COVID-19, employers and employees alike have been far more mindful and proactive regarding the personal safety of teams. As such, safety and security programmes have been extended beyond business travel to include commuting to and from work, and even at home for those working remotely. As corporate travel now resumes, many business sectors are displaying a renewed focus on the legal and moral obligation to ensure that steps are taken to safeguard employee safety.
Research has shown for many years that around three quarters of solo female travellers worry about their personal safety, with the majority of even experienced solo travellers feeling the same. However, today there is growing demand from all types of individual who seek advice and techniques to help uphold the safety for those around them.
A hybrid approach to Personal Safety & Active Bystander Training delivers employees of all genders practical tips and strategies to keep themselves safe, as well as techniques they can put in place to become an active and safe bystander to aid other people. For example, participants learn real world ways to intervene without aggression - including by creating a distraction, asking a victim if they are OK, and inviting other nearby people to help document or diffuse the situation.
Training courses from Maiden Voyage and its partner organisation Freedom Personal Safety can be deployed to target specific demographics and crimes, such as anti-LGBTQ+ or anti-Asian hate crime, and violence against women and girls and includes practical examples of how we can use our body in response to a physical threat. Personal Safety & Active Bystander Training is conducted remotely or as in-person sessions. All courses are available globally in English, French, German, and Spanish.
Carolyn Pearson, Founder & CEO of Maiden Voyage, said, “Employers are sharing with us a strong imperative to strengthen employee safety, particularly for but not limited to women. Notably, we’ve seen a sharp increase in demand for training on how to be an active bystander and effective ally if people witness or encounter harassment of others. We have been running customizable forms of this training with great feedback from participants”.
Maiden Voyage’s trainers hold specialisms attuned to specific regions, risk ratings, fragile environments or kidnap avoidance. Travel safety training courses can be delivered in partnership with in-house travel and safety teams to reinforce specific company messages and processes, ensuring employee safety and compliance to a travel programme.
Luke Hirst, a participant in a recent online course commissioned from Maiden Voyage, describes his experience: “As a male business traveller, I was surprised by just how useful and eye-opening the personal safety elements were – I’ve immediately implemented some pretty simple but valuable elements in my travel routine. The Active Bystander module was unforgettable and I feel motivated and honestly capable now to make a worthwhile intervention, should I detect a need”.
Maiden Voyage specialises in business travel safety education, especially for diverse travellers or minority groups. The company’s extensive portfolio of Traveller Safety eLearning modules includes topics such as Hotel Safety, Intercultural Awareness, Pre-planning and Packing, Safe Ground Transportation, Safe Meetings and Leisure.