A female bouncer is trying to change the security sector to make night-time life safer for girls and women.
Lisa Baskott, from Hove, felt compelled to take action against the growing issue of violence against women and girls following the murder of Sarah Everard in 2021.
Mother-of-two Lisa was infuriated by the killing of the 33-year-old at the hands of serving police officer Wayne Couzens and soon began her bid to create 2nd Line of Defence, the UK’s first female-focused recruitment agency for the private security sector.
“I was floored,” she said. “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
“I have not felt that angry in a long time. I thought ‘why is society letting this happen’.
“I didn’t have my kids just for them to be constantly looking over their shoulder.
“I shouldn’t have to look over my shoulder in fear. Why is it my responsibility?”
The 53-year-old wants to prioritise the safety of women and vulnerable groups, including the LGTBQ+ community and neurodivergent people, within the night-time economy by addressing the under-representation of women in the sector.
There are currently over 400,000 licenses for door security staff in the UK but only ten per cent of them are women, something that shocked Lisa.
“We make up 51 per cent of the population," she said. “Ninety per cent of the time we go out, that person on the door has no experience of our journey or experiences.”
By talking to key stakeholders in the sector, she also wants to improve the working conditions for security workers, which she believes will also encourage more people from different backgrounds to join the industry.
“I’m worried about when my daughter starts going out,” she said. “There needs to be someone on the door that looks like her.
“It’s not just about needing women, we need a mix of people. I thought stop talking and let’s start doing something.
“I decided I’m not going to wait another 20 years for effective change.”
Lisa, who has served as a magistrate for over ten years, qualified as a Security Industry Authority (SIA) licensed door supervisor in 2021, prior to setting up her pioneering business.
She has worked as part of the security teams at the Hilton Brighton Metropole, The Grand hotel, Rockwater and Chalk and has seen first hand the benefits of having female security in place.
“I always get shocked people when they see me,” she said. “It shouldn’t be a shock.
“If a woman is touched up in the club she might not want to approach a man but if they see someone like me, they are more likely to.
“People seek me out, men and women alike.
“I would go to Primark to get hair bobbles to use for the girls throwing up.
“I’ll chat to them, they’re relived someone is caring for them. They feel safe and engage.
“It’s really important to create that human side.”
By making women more visible on the doors of venues, and ultimately changing the perception of what it takes to be a door supervisor, Lisa believes current safeguarding issues including harassment and spiking can be better addressed.
“Women are needed and have a unique skill set,” she said.
“Women are communicators, they are empathetic and are brilliant at de-escalating situations.”
Lisa also wants to see more education on how people going out should behave and keep themselves safe.
She goes into schools and universities to talk to students.
“It’s also about educating people,” she said. “It was carnage after lockdown, teenagers hadn’t been out and they didn’t know how to go out.
“The etiquette was shocking from both girls and boys.
“It’s important to talk about how to keep safe and about respect. We don’t talk about things enough.”
She has encouraged people, aged 18 and over, who are interested in finding out more about the career path to go to her website or to get in touch.
“We need to move away from the stereotype of the middle aged man and move towards more women, more black people, more trans people," she said.
“That’s what it should be. We need a zero tolerance to homophobia, transphobia, misogyny. There’s no place for that.”
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