In commemoration of its 90th anniversary, Soroptimist International Great Britain & Ireland (SIGBI), a registered women’s charity with consultancy status at the United Nations, has relaunched its national railway safety project-just 28 years on from its original launch.

The charity marked this milestone at its 90th conference in Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh from November 1-3, when over 500 women congregated to discuss education, empowerment, and enabling progress for women and girls. The agenda also involved reflecting on ‘The Future of the Railways’, a campaign launched by the charity in 1996 to address improving safety for women traveling on Britain’s railways.

The charity initiated the project first after an attack on a Soroptimist member traveling on a London-bound train. SIGBI conducted extensive research, surveying female passengers and interviewing station managers across more than 500 stations throughout Britain. The resulting report criticized the government’s approach to station safety and made several recommendations aimed at protecting women on trains and in stations.

As part of the relaunch, SIGBI is revisiting the original questions posed in 1996, expanding the scope of the research to include airports and bus stations, to assess how safety measures have evolved and whether government policies have adapted to address the issue of women’s safety. In the wake of alarming reports, charity renewed efforts as recent statistics revealed that violence on British railways against women and girls had risen by 50% over the last two years, reported the British Transport Police.

The charity has committed to persisting in the quest for safety for women as Ruth Healey, SIGBI President, said: “More needs to be done urgently. We are proud to play our part in creating a safer environment for women and girls on their journeys.”

In addition to its advocacy efforts, SIGBI is actively supporting the ‘Bystander Awareness’ training initiative to prevent violence against women, and celebrated its Best Practice Awards at the conference, which recognize outstanding community projects. As part of its social impact initiatives, the charity also collected over 2,300 pairs of underwear for the Edinburgh-based charity Smalls for All, supporting those in need in the UK and Africa.

SIGBI’s 90th anniversary celebrations include a ‘90 for 90 years’ challenge, where members contribute to various causes, including food banks, premature baby units, and domestic abuse charities, reinforcing the charity’s enduring mission to empower women and girls globally.