University News Last updated 11 March
Birmingham City University (BCU) welcomed women from across the city to its City Centre Campus as West Midlands Police hosted its third ‘Hear Her’ event to mark International Women’s Day.
Led by the force’s Women in Policing association, the Hear Her network is a community initiative designed to listen to women’s experiences, strengthen relationships with communities and help shape policing strategies that better protect women and girls.
The event brought together more than 35 women from across Birmingham, including BCU students and community representatives, to discuss how policing can better support women and girls.
Sessions included:
- An input on understanding your rights, reporting, and the police support available to women and girls
- An open discussion on what the police could do differently to better support women and girls
- A session from Superintendent Susan Mabbett on West Midlands Police’s Public Protection Unit and its work tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG)
The event created space for women and girls to network, share lived experiences and discuss ways to build safer communities.
Sergeant Lizzie Lewandowski, Hear Her network lead and neighbourhood policing supervisor, said: “Hear Her was created to build genuine, meaningful connections with the communities we serve.
“Our aim is simple – to listen. By hearing directly from women and girls about their experiences, we can better understand the challenges they face and improve the way we support them.
"Holding the event around International Women’s Day felt particularly meaningful. The theme of ‘give to gain’ reflects what Hear Her is about – sharing experiences, building trust and learning from one another to create safer communities for women and girls.
“We were really keen to reach a wider demographic, particularly younger women and people from different communities. Creating a network like Hear Her allows conversations to happen more naturally and helps us hear perspectives we might not otherwise reach.
“We’re incredibly grateful to Birmingham City University for hosting us. Being able to hold this event in the heart of the community reinforces exactly what Hear Her stands for – partnership, openness and collaboration.
“Events like this are vital in helping our officers build greater cultural understanding and awareness. Listening to women’s lived experiences helps us improve how we respond, how we support victims and how we build trust within our communities.”
Professor Laura Hammond, Professor of Psychology, Criminology and Policing at BCU, said the event highlighted the importance of partnership working between universities, communities and policing.
“It was a privilege to host the Hear Her event at our City Centre Campus and bring together so many inspirational people from our local communities, including our students,” she said.
“Events like this create opportunities for us to learn from one another, work collaboratively and identify ways we can support women and girls locally and beyond.”
Robyn Fisher-Payne, Acting Head of Skills and Community Projects at BCU, added: “We’re proud to support initiatives that help build a safer Birmingham while giving our students the opportunity to learn from lived experiences. It also allows us to apply academic expertise to real-world challenges.”
Anyone interested in joining the Hear Her Network or attending future events can register their interest via the West Midlands Police collaboration form.
Pictured: Dr Marcia Shakespeare sharing her experiences with audience members.