Preventing Gender-Based Violence Through Youth Leadership and Education
Free personal safety alarms and violence prevention programmes for communities that need them most.
8000+
Safety Alarms
Distributed
37+
GBV Awareness Workshops Conducted
30+
Volunteers Worldwide
8
Countries Reached
Our impact reflects a preventative approach: addressing risk before harm occurs, and attitudes before they become violence.
A Legacy of Hope and Action
Rebecca ‘Becky’ Dykes was a Policy and Programme Manager in Lebanon for the UK government’s Department for International Development (since renamed the FCDO). She was passionate about humanitarian work throughout her career. It was based on her firm belief in basic human rights and equality.
On 16 December 2017, she was raped and strangled by a taxi driver in Beirut during what should have been a 10-minute ride home.
Her mother, Jane Houng, determined to transform grief into action, founded the Becky’s Button Initiative to honour Becky’s legacy. Guided by Jane’s unwavering belief in safer communities, the initiative empowers women worldwide by fostering awareness of gender-based violence and distributing safety tools to those most in need.
A Tribute to Rebecca Dykes:
Elizabeth Emblem Award
On December 10, 2024, at Windsor Castle, Jane Houng received the Elizabeth Emblem from His Majesty King Charles III, honoring Rebecca Dykes’ extraordinary life of humanitarian service during her work with the UK government across the Middle East. Following the award, Jane expanded Becky’s Button’s work in the UK, strengthening the organisation’s focus on prevention and education.
Becky’s Button works with university students and educators to develop age-appropriate prevention programmes and deliver gender-based violence workshops across schools and higher education settings. This work continues Rebecca’s legacy by turning recognition into sustained action. You can learn more about Jane’s journey and Becky’s Button in her interview with the Daily Express.
Who We Are
Becky’s Button (UK Charity No. 1212641) is youth focussed charity addressing gender-based violence through practical safety tools, education, and ethical innovation. Alongside providing personal safety alarms for use in real world situations, our work includes early intervention, engaging young people and communities to challenge harmful attitudes before violence occurs.
Our work is supported by youth ambassadors and volunteers, community leaders, institutional partners in the UK and internationally, and local NGOs. Oversight & robust governance is provided by our board of trustees. We approach gender-based violence as a systemic, global issue that requires collective action across cultures and contexts.
Through our ReachOut education programme, international campaigns, and the distribution of thousands of personal safety alarms, Becky’s Button takes a proactive approach to a complex global problem. We work closely with educators to develop age-appropriate programmes for children and teenagers, focused on breaking cycles of harm and challenging violence against women and girls, both online and offline.
Our Vision
A world where gender-based violence is prevented, and everyone can live with safety and dignity.
Our Mission
To prevent gender-based violence by working with young people through education, dialogue, and community action, reducing harm before it takes root.
Our Values
Clear and Accountable: We communicate with honesty and clarity, take responsibility for our actions, and ensure our words reflect our work.
Youth-Led: We place young people’s leadership at the heart of our work, recognising their role in shaping safer attitudes and communities.
Inclusive and Respectful: We recognise that experiences of violence are shaped by identity and inequality, and we work across cultures and contexts with care, dignity, and respect.
What We Do
At Becky’s Button, we take a preventative approach to gender-based violence by addressing risk, attitudes, and systems together. Our work combines education, community action, and practical safety tools to reduce harm before it occurs. Our mission is global but the majority of our work takes place in the UK and Lebanon, with particular strategic focusses on Greater Manchester and Beirut.
Our Personal Safety Alarm
- Wearable, Clippable & Threadable
- A siren of around 125 decibels
- Recyclable ABS
- Rechargeable
Key Features:
- It is small enough to hide on your body
- It can be easily clipped onto clothes or attached to a key ring, bag, or other personal item for convenient carrying.
- Activated with 1 click, the siren will sound continuously for 1.5 hours
- To deactivate Becky’s Button, simply press and hold the button for 2 seconds.
- Its noise level can scare away attackers, draw attention and give the wearer a few precious seconds to escape.
- It charges in an hour using a Micro USB cable, with a blue light indicating charging and turning off when fully charged.
- It can be used on standby for one year, but in order to protect the battery, it is recommended to charge it every two months.
Our Patrons
Becky’s Button is honoured to be supported by patrons whose commitment to preventing violence against women and girls is grounded in integrity and lived understanding, shaped by profound personal experience.
It has been a privilege to get to know Jane Houng and we are proud to be patrons of Becky’s Button. It was shared grief for our daughters that first brought us together and Jane has been an inspiration to us in the way she has channelled her grief into positive action and founded a movement that does so much to promote women’s safety. Becky’s Button is a wonderful initiative which honours the legacy of Jane’s daughter, Rebecca Dykes and promises to help so many women. Its mission, to create safer spaces for women, touches us personally and will be of global benefit. It is a cause close to our hearts and has our utmost support.
Sue and Jeremy Everard
How To Support
Spread Awareness
Don’t be a bystander to misogynistic behaviour, even when it seems small. Help raise awareness about gender-based violence by speaking up, both online and offline. Together, we can build safer spaces for younger generations.
Join Us
If you have skills in graphic design, research, safeguarding, or gender equality, join us. Support our programmes and help drive change to end gender-based violence.
Donate
Every donation supports the distribution of Becky’s Button personal safety alarms and education around gender-based violence, helping young people feel safer in their everyday lives and public spaces.
Your generosity helps us deliver prevention and education work.
