Hundreds of women used their voices to shout, scream and sing at Reclaim The Night, a protest to raise awareness for their need for safety on the streets and to end violence against women.
Among those taking part were members of White Ribbon UK, a movement made up of men and boys working with women to try and end male violence against women.
Members of White Ribbon UK wear White Ribbons to symbolise men ‘giving their arms’.
White Ribbon UK was created by pro-feminists in London in 1991 in response to the brutal shooting in Canada where Marc Lepine shot 14 women, claiming he was a feminist.
Since the shooting White Ribbon UK have been trying to increase the number of men and boys that stand by women against male violence.
Members attend protests offering their support.
Even though the protest was exclusively for women, White Ribbon UK joined the 300 attendees at the start and at the end of the protest constantly showing their support for the movement.
Two representatives from White Ribbon UK went to the Reclaim the Night protest trying to create more awareness for their charity.
With only 1,300 members across the UK they are always advocating for more members.
A spokesperson from White Ribbon UK said: “Creating awareness is crucial to help women end their years of fighting for their safety.”
The representatives also spoke strongly about their beliefs at the protest, agreeing that “the male alliance between men and this issue is not strong enough”.
“creating awareness is crucial to help women end their years of fighting for their safety”
There was little male alliance shown at the protest, according to a protester Jemima Cook.
Jemima Cook was disgusted as men shouted from the side of the street calling the protest ‘boring’ and to ‘go home’.
She continued: “This is the reason we have to protest. Women still have to experience sexual harassment, unwanted attention from men and misogynistic abuse all due to their gender.”
A 2021 investigation by the UN Women found that 71 per cent of women of all ages in the UK have experienced some form of sexual harassment in a public space. Only three per cent of the 18-24 year olds reported that they had experienced any form of sexual harassment.
Marches first took place in 1977 after women were angered with the attitude of the police during the deaths of 13 women by ‘The Yorkshire Ripper’ between 1975 and 1980.
In response to these 13 murders and rapes women decided to protest through the streets all across the world.
Despite continuous efforts, after 44 years women are still having to argue and protest for their rights and safety, hoping to end being told not to go out at night, blaming them instead of treating them like the victims.
White Ribbon UK are encouraging men and boys who are interested in making a difference and becoming a positive male role model to join the White Ribbon and become an ambassador.
- White Ribbon UK is the leading charity in engaging men and boys in the campaign to end violence against women, visit their website for more on their campaign: https://www.whiteribbon.org.uk/
- UN Women are an organisation helping to achieve gender equality, hoping to provide every woman and girl with opportunities allowing them to reach their full potential. More information on their work can be found on: https://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us
- Reclaim the Night was largely supported by local charity- Nottingham’s Women’s Centre. They charity aims to provide women the confidence and skills to become stronger and more independent. For more about the charity visit their website: https://www.nottinghamwomenscentre.com/our-story
