The Women's Centre Cornwall | Campaigning for change

Too many of us have been impacted in some way by violence against women and girls. You may be living with the affects of your own experiences or be worried about someone you care about.

Women and girls should not be forced to live under an unofficial curfew, constantly changing our behaviour in an attempt to keep ourselves safe.

As the End Violence Against Women Coalition say: A different world is possible.

Together we can be a powerful force for change by creating communities, having our voices heard and refusing to accept the realities in which we live.

As well as offering support to women and girls living with the impact of sexual and/or domestic abuse, we take action to campaign for change around the root causes of violence against women and girls.

We lobby and campaign at both a local and national level to end violence against women, stand up for equality and champion the issues that women and girls share with us.

Our chief executive is a board member of the End Violence Against Women (EVAW) Coalition, a UK-wide coalition of people and organisations lobbying government and trying to change the debate on violence against women and girls.

Locally, The Women's Centre Cornwall belongs to numerous partnerships and boards seeking to make Cornwall a safer place. We also run our own campaigns and events.

Campaigning is taking action to create change.

We take action in several ways:

Raise awareness about the reality of violence against women and girls
Speak out about the root causes of abuse including misogyny, inequality and pornography
Organise events to honour women and girls’ lives and demand change
Challenge views which blame survivors
Validate women and girls feelings as natural and normal
Deliver training and education
Create vibrant communities in which women feel informed and empowered

Reclaim The Night

Reclaim The Night is an event which takes place every year across the UK during the winter.

It first began in Leeds and other parts of the country on 12th November 1977 when women marched for our right to live in the world free from fear and violence. These women were responding to being told by the Police that they couldn’t go out at night for their own safety because of the actions of a man who took the lives of 13 women in Yorkshire at the time.

Their message was that we as women refuse to be held responsible, controlled or blamed because ofthe actions of male perpetrators. That remains our message today.

The Women’s Centre Cornwall has held Reclaim The Night events in Cornwall since 2004.
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Join us on Friday 24th November 2023 for our next event at the Killacourt in Newquay from 6.00pm.

Vigil

We read out the names of every woman and child whose lives have been taken by male violence throughout the UK over the last year.

We honour their lives not just because they were mothers, daughters, sisters and friends – but because they were full and precious human beings.

Men are invited to stand with us in solidarity.

March

Women and children then take to the streets to make noise and demand change. We demand freedom, safety and respect for women and girls in all spaces. If shouting and making noise feels uncomfortable, you are so welcome to join us in silence which can be just as powerful.

When faced with the reality of violence against women and girls, society often chooses to look the other way and tries to force women into isolation, silence and shame.

Reclaim The Night is a chance to create connection and community to break isolation. We make noise because we will not be silenced. We stand proud and shake off the shame that is not ours to carry.

For the last two years, courageous young women from our Young Empowered Women’s Project have shared their voices and poetry on stage and the KBSK dance group perform with righteous anger and energy!

We invite you to join our community of people committed to ending male violence against women and girls.

Find out more about Becoming A Friend of The Women’s Centre Cornwall.

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