Women will undertake a night time-march through Oxford to reclaim the streets and call for an end to violence against women and girls.
The Reclaim the Night march will take place on Friday (November 25), the same day as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and will be the first in-person demonstration since the pandemic.
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Reclaim the Night marches began in the UK in the 1970s in response to advice given to women to stay at home at night during the Yorkshire Ripper murders.
The event aims to show solidarity with women and girls, both in Oxford and around the world, who have faced, or are fearful of, violence and harassment on the streets.
Stock image of a Reclaim the Night march in London (Image: See Li/Wikimedia Commons)
Organisers say 85,000 women are raped every year and that one in five women aged 16-59 experience some form of sexual violence in their life.
They add gender based violence is one of the “most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations” in which impacts people across the world and it remains largely unreported due to the “impunity, silence, stigma and shame” surrounding it.
This year’s march through the city will feature speakers from the Oxfordshire Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Centre (OSARCC) and Refugee Resource, as well as this the route will pass specific locations where women have been made to feel unsafe.
Lisa Ward, co-organiser of Reclaim the Night, said: “Now more than ever we need to continue to speak out about raise awareness that violence against women and girls is still happening.
“In the wake of the murders of Sarah Everard, Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman in 2020, and countless other women who have been raped or murdered by men we know many women still feel unsafe on our streets.
“Until that changes we have to keep speaking out.”
Kate Bickerton, co-organiser of Reclaim the Night, said: “Globally we are seeing an continued erosion of women’s rights and freedoms.
“With this march we want to show that women in Oxford stand in solidarity together against gender based violence here in our community and with women around the world.”
In previous years, hundreds of women have turned out to Reclaim the Night in Oxford and have marched through the streets holding banners that read ‘grab ‘em by the patriarchy’ and ‘anything you can do I can do bleeding’.
The rally will begin at 7pm on the Clarendon Building steps in Broad Street where speakers will address the crowds.
The march will take place at 7.30pm and perform a circular route of the city before finishing back at the Clarendon Building.
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This story was written by Sophie Perry. She joined the team in 2021 as a digital reporter.
You can get in touch with her by emailing: sophie.perry@newsquest.co.uk
Follow her on Twitter @itssophieperry
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