Lecturer interviewed on BBC Breakfast to highlight public harassment initiative
A Coleg Sir Gâr lecturer has been interviewed on BBC Breakfast to talk about the national Jog On project which aims to keep female runners safe from public harassment.
Georgia Theodoulou, a lecturer within the college’s A-level and Access team, was invited up to the BBC’s Manchester studio where she talked live on TV to presenters Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty.
The interview was held as part of Georgia’s work with Our Streets Now, whose mission is to end public sexual harassment in the UK.
Originally developed by West Yorkshire Police and now adopted by forces across the UK, the Jog On project aims to tackle the harassment women receive whilst out running.
It deploys undercover female police officers to address the harassment female runners often face, including catcalling, intimidation, and assaults.
The campaign also seeks to raise awareness of inappropriate behaviour and provide education through active bystander training and take enforcement action against individuals who persist in targeting runners with unwanted behaviours.
In force from April this year, Georgia also discussed the launch of the Protection from Sex-Based Harassment in Public Act, which Our Streets campaigned for and which makes it a standalone criminal offence to cause alarm or distress to someone because of their gender.
On the show, Georgia spoke about the importance of education, reporting behaviour to police, raising awareness and addressing low and high level behaviours within society.
Georgia is a very active and award-winning campaigner for VAWG (Violence Against Women and Girls), a delegate for UN Women UK and is the strategic lead for Our Streets Now for Wales and sports.
She is also an ambassador for Her Game Too for Arsenal FC men’s team which addresses sexism in sport.
Georgia was also part of the Female Leaders in Football initiative at the World Football Summit in Sevilla, Spain in September 2023, where the likes of the general secretary of FIFA and professional players from Sevilla FC attended.
At college, Georgia teaches A-level drama and English and is also the lead anti racism lead practitioner, who has recently introduced hairdressing students to an eight-week accredited training programme in afro and curly hair.
She also works with other colleges in Wales and sports teams delivering training for safeguarding leads to help understand and address professional boundaries.
Georgia said that following the BBC show, she received a number of messages from men who were shocked at the behaviour of those who carry out these offences and how they lacked awareness of the problem before watching the interview.