Pete Stevenson chats to Mandy Barnes about an excellent Reclaim the Night event in the West Country.
The streets were filled with the pulsating sound of drums and chants calling for an end to intimidation, harassment and violence against women. A cacophony of energy, voices and belief came together to change the world – starting in Exeter.
More than three hundred women and supporters ensured the late night Christmas shoppers of the city were left in no doubt about the rights of women to feel safe on our streets.
They demanded the right to use public spaces without fear as part of sixteen days of international action, a global campaign that links the United Nations International Day of the Elimination of Violence Against Women and International Human Rights Day.
The aim – to put women’s safety on the agenda every night of the year. While women’s lives are being restricted by the threat or reality of rape, sexual harassment and intimidation they cannot claim equal citizenship. Woman cheered when it was announced that safety is a civil right and a human right.
Devon Rape Crisis Service, Exeter Feminists, Exeter University Feminist Society and SAFE (Stop Abuse For Everyone) came together in a spirit of unity to make a great impact. This included the creation of a magnificent sculpture of a woman which carried on her skirt a multitude of messages of hope and love from the women of Exeter. This eye-catching image led the march through the streets.
A special creativity day prior to the event resulted in the designing and making of many placards and percussion instruments. On the night, an uplifting drumming workshop set the tone of the event with driving rhythms and a local choir sang the inspirational “Something Inside So Strong” before the women took to the streets. The march featured chants which referred to being sexually harassed, for example, “Whatever we wear, wherever we go, yes means yes and no means no!”.
The inclusive event was funded by Fawcett Devon and Exeter Community Safety Partnership.
Fee Scott of Devon Rape Crisis Service said “Reclaim the Night events began in 1977 with the emphasis on visibility not confrontation. Women demand the right to be safe on our streets but also in night clubs, on public transport and in places of work and study.”
Liz Payne from the National Assembly of Women linked the event to women’s struggles around the world. “I wouldn’t have believed we would still be protesting against violence towards women 38 years since the first Reclaim the Night event in Germany in 1977. Women spend half their lives in fear of being attacked at night. It destroys our confidence and can impact on simple things like going to work and coming home at night in safety. While we’ve been marching, thousands of women in the South West will have been afraid to cross a park at night, or won’t know where to go if they are attacked. I want us to think about women around the world who live in fear”
Ellis Taylor of Exeter Feminists said, “I often get asked if we still need feminism. We need it because in Exeter 97% of women don’t feel safe going out after dark and 84% have experienced harassment.
Devon Rape Crisis Volunteer Elena Dimitriou said, “I recently talked to a guy who had seen his male friends groping a woman and he felt he couldn’t say anything because they would exclude him from their social group. This has to change”.
To build on the success of a great night, future plans include putting on an exhibition of the sculpture and photographs to keep the message on the public agenda as part of One Billion Rise events on February 14th and International Women’s Day on March 8th 2016.
A final comment from Elsie Scriven 15, who attended her first political event, “Now more than ever we need to take action because things haven’t changed in 30 years and being on the march I felt empowered to take the issue forward in partnership with my sisters. We need feminism for young women and men to make the world a better place.”
Morning Star 2015
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