Reclaim The Night 2009 Cornwall – 21st November 2009

Posted on November 19, 2009
Filed Under 16 Days 2009 2008, Demonstration March, South West, Violence Against Women, Women's Event, Women's Group | Comments Off

Women’s March To End Violence Against Women
Newquay, Cornwall
Saturday 21st November

Assemble At Manor Road Car Park At 7.00pm For A 7.30pm Start.

Followed By A Free Women Only Celebration At Claremont Hall, Beachfield Avenue.

For More Information Call The Women’s Domestic Violence Support Network
On 01208 79992 or email reclaimthenightnewquay@Live.Co.Uk

Introduction

Since 2004, The Young Women’s Support Network, which is part of the Women’s Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre Cornwall, has organised an annual women’s Reclaim the Night march to end violence against women and girls. Last year over 200 marchers Reclaimed the Night on Saturday 22nd November 2008. We hope women and girls will join us in even larger numbers on Saturday 21st November 2009. Put your feet on the street for women and demand justice for all survivors of violence, join with thousands of others from all over the country to call for an end to male violence against women in all its forms. March for your friends, partners, sisters, daughters, mothers, colleagues, grandmothers, nieces… march for yourself. Shout a loud NO to rape and male violence, for all those women and girls for whom ‘no’ was not enough; for all those who can’t be here. Be there for women on Saturday 21st November 2009.

Why Reclaim The Night?

According to the British Crime Survey (2001) there are an estimated 47,000 rapes every year, around 40,000 attempted rapes and over 300,000 sexual assaults. Yet our conviction rate is the lowest it has ever been, one of the lowest in Europe, at only 5.3%. This means that more rapists were convicted in the 1970s when Reclaim the Night marches first started than they are now. Did you know that the maximum sentence possible for rape is life imprisonment? Probably not, because rarely are rapists even reported or convicted, let alone with a realistic sentence. This situation has to change. We march to demand justice for survivors of sexual or domestic violence. A recent survey by the young women’s magazine More in 2005 found that 95% of women don’t feel safe on the streets at night, and 65% don’t even feel safe during the day. 73% worry about being raped and almost half say they sometimes don’t want to go out because they fear for their own safety. In every sphere of life we negotiate the threat or reality of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment. We cannot claim equal citizenship while this threat restricts our lives as it does. We demand the right to use public space without fear. We demand this right as a civil liberty, we demand this as a human right. The Reclaim the Night march gives women a voice and a chance to reclaim the streets at night on a safe and empowering event. We aim to put the issue of our safety on the agenda for this night and every day.

Herstory

The Reclaim The Night marches started in the UK in the 1970s. In America they are known as ‘Take Back The Night’ and the first one was held in West Germany on April 30th 1977. In Britain they first began on 12th November 1977 when marches took place in Leeds, Manchester, Bristol, London and many other cities. The Reclaim the Night marches became even more significant when, in following years, a man called Peter Sutcliffe began murdering prostitute women in and around Leeds. Feminists in the area were angry that the police response to these murders was slow and that the press barely reported on them. It seemed that it was only when young student women began to fall victim to this serial killer that the police started to take the situation seriously. Their response was to warn all women not to go out at night. This was not a helpful suggestion for any woman, let alone for those women involved in prostitution who often had no choice about whether they went out at night or not. Feminists and a variety of women’s and student groups were angered by this response. So they organised a resistance of torch-lit marches and demonstrations — they walked in their hundreds through the city streets at night to highlight that they should be able to walk anywhere and that they should not be blamed or restricted because of male violence. Over the years the marches evolved to focus on rape and male violence generally, giving women one night when they could feel safe to walk the streets of their own towns and cities. Today we walk for the same reasons. Because we still don’t have these rights; because women are still blamed for rape and male violence. An ICM poll commissioned by Amnesty International in 2005 found that over one third of the British public surveyed be- lieved that women were sometimes wholly or partly to blame if they were raped, for example if they had been drinking, if they flirted or dressed outrageously. Today we march, as so many women have done before us to say that we are NEVER to blame for rape and male violence. Those men who choose to commit these crimes are to blame. We march today to demand our right to live without the fear or reality of rape and male violence, we demand an end to violence against women.

Join This Year’s Reclaim The Night March!

Make and bring your own lanterns and banners, including ones with your women’s group name on and bring them on the march. This shows the breadth of support for the issue on the march and also shows how far people have travelled to attend. You may even get your banner in the press or on telly!

When: Saturday 21st November 2009
Where: Gather At Manor Road Car Park, Newquay
Time: 7.00pm For 7.30pm Start
What To Wear: Warm And Waterproof
How Long Is The Walk: Approximately ½ Mile
Bring Lanterns, Banners And Musical Instruments

Join Us For A Women Only Celebration At Claremont Hall, Beachfield Avenue, Afterwards. Speakers, Refreshments And Fun!

For further details please email ReclaimtheNightNewquay@live.co.uk
or call The Women’s Domestic Violence Support Network 01208 79992

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