The reclaim the night movement dates back to 1970’s
Yorkshire, when the Yorkshire ripper
was on the loose and fear and uncertainty
led to women being discouraged to venture out at night. Since then women around
the world have marched in defiance of the culture of victim blaming and shame
which is present in nearly all developed societies, and of the injustice of
soaring sexual violence figures which are ignored again and again. The aim of
the movement is simple- to reclaim the public space which fear and uncertainty
has taken away from women.
Manchester’s march has always been a huge success, but this
year marked the biggest turnout yet. I first went to the annual march as a
student 3 years ago, so I was shocked to see how much the movement has grown
and what it has become in such a short time. The speed at which the event has
grown only hints at the level to which the community is affected by sexual
violence. In the large student community incidents of rape are common,
particularly during fresher’s week. I wouldn’t hesitate to bet that if you
asked every student in Manchester, they would all know someone affected by
sexual violence or harassment. In the city centre, the waiting list for rape
crisis support treatment is 6 months.
In spite of these dire circumstances, the movement to
reclaim the night is overwhelmingly positive and optimistic about the future. The
movement is as diverse as it is powerful- led by women, men, and families. The
march is such a sight to behold- and so it should be; thousands of women
painted in glitter, singing chants, waving placards and shouting at the top of
our lungs. The standout message was this: Sexual violence can no longer be
passed off as a freak occurrence; it is an epidemic that we cannot continue to
ignore.
Have a look at some of the amazing work Rape Crisis Manchester do with limited resources here!
