The Women’s Project will be placing 104 shirts and
t-shirts in Weston-super-Mare town centre to symbolise the average
number of female lives lost a year in England and Wales as a result
of domestic abuse.
The Women’s Project (which provides counselling and emergency
grants to women who have been affected by domestic abuse) is the
founder member of an annual event in which agencies and charities
from across North Somerset come together in support of the
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against
Women. The day is celebrated each November and is a United
Nations initiative. This year the Women’s Project will be
marking the day on 23 November.
There will be other agencies supporting the Women’s Project on the
day with material available to supporters and also to those who
wish to know more about the elimination of violence against women
and support services available in the local area. Other local
agencies who will be supporting the event include the Independent
Domestic Abuse Forum (IDAF), the SEEDS Project and North Somerset
Against Domestic Abuse (NADA).
Information will be available in town and also from The Imperial
Brasserie on South Parade where there will be a chance for people
to get in from the cold and talk to support services to learn more
about the help available to people who are affected by domestic
abuse in North Somerset.
Georgina Peacock, Chair of the Women’s Project, said: "I heard
this idea some years ago. Last year we commemorated the day by
placing 104 pairs of shoes in the Italian Gardens. We were
overwhelmed by the support we received. The event hopefully
provided information and help to a lot of people who would
otherwise have been unaware of the support available to them.
"For every woman actually killed there are countless others
living in fear of what their current or former partner might do to
them. This past year has been no exception and with the local
incident earlier in the year which is no doubt still in everyone's
minds, we hope that this event will give others the strength to
leave an abusive relationship before it is too late. Our message is
that there is no justification for abuse and that there is help
available for those who want to improve their lives."
Research into the cost of domestic violence estimates that
domestic violence is estimated to cost victims, services and the
state a total of £23 billion a year. It is hoped therefore
that this event will raise awareness of the impact domestic abuse
has, not just on women but on entire families and support
services.
For more information or if you would like to become involved in
the event yourself please either attend the event, 11am-4pm on
Wednesday November 23 in Weston-super-Mare town centre or the
Imperial Brasserie or contact Amy Jones of the Women’s Project on
01934 428800 or via email:
Amy.Jones@Wards.uk.com.
In addition to this event, to start off the week, there will be
a premiere of the film 'Survivors' at the Curzon cinema in
Clevedon, on Sunday November 20. There will initially be two
showings on the night, one at 5pm and one at 7.45pm. Mark Baker,
director, writer and producer of the film says: "The focus of the
film is to hopefully raise alarm bells in people's heads who are in
an abusive relationship, but don't know it and think it's 'normal'
to be treated that way.
"I also hope it will make people realise that outsiders can help
too rather than ignore what is going on behind closed doors.
Domestic abuse does not just happen behind closed doors, there are
people that witness incidents everyday and I hope that the film
gives people more courage to stand up to perpetrators in the
future."
For people who would like to see the film it will also be shown
throughout the day at the event on 23 November in Weston-super-Mare
town centre.
