North East women reclaiming the night this Saturday

Hundreds of North East women will be coming together on this Saturday evening (23rd November) as part of the region’s Reclaim the Night event in Newcastle, hosted by the Northern TUC.

Attendees will be gathering at Old Eldon Square in Newcastle city centre and then walking en masse up Northumberland Street (led by the Bangshees, a community-based all-women drumming group) to the Haymarket and across to the Civic Centre (Pandon Room) for speeches. Speakers at the rally include, Vera Baird, Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria, Clare Williams, Chair of the TUC Women’s Group and Unison Regional Convenor, and Martine Dellard of North East Feminist Gathering.

Earlier this year, new research by the Ministry of Justice, Home Office and the Office for National Statistics report that in England and Wales there are an estimated 85,000 rapes every year.  Each year an estimated 400,000 women are sexually assaulted and 1 in 5 women (16-59) has experienced some form of sexual violence since the age of 16. When Reclaim the Night marches were first started in the 1970s, women were appalled that only 1 in 3 rapists were ever convicted; today that figure is 1 in 30.

So, four years ago, the Northern TUC, in conjunction with its Women’s Group, revived the tradition of Reclaim the Night and it is now an annual event in the calendar. 

Chair of the Northern TUC’s Women’s Group, Clare Williams said: “All women have the right to use public spaces both in the daytime and after dark without the fear of sexual harassment and assault.  We hope that our event will once again raise awareness that violence against women is unfortunately an ongoing battle - that many face on a daily basis. I hope regional women, and men, will add their support and join with others around the world to mark the International Day to End Violence Against Women and take back their night.”

Vera Baird, Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria said: “As a supporter of the event, I am delighted to have been asked to take part in this year’s walk.  Women's violence issues need great women campaigners to support events like this and need people like me, on the inside ready to listen and keen to drive the agenda.

“Without this combination it is like taking your foot of the accelerator and women’s wellbeing goes directly backwards as we have seen through Tory cuts impacting on women.“

NOTES TO EDITORS:

6.00pm – Gather at Old Eldon Square, Newcastle

6.30pm – walk-up to Haymarket/Civic Centre via Northumberland Street

Speeches to follow when all present in Pandon Room, Civic Centre

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Media contacts:

Beth Farhat Northern TUC Regional Secretary T: 0191 227 5565; M: 07747636408; E: bfarhat@tuc.org.uk