NOVEMBER 25 marks the start of the 16 Days of Action Against Gender Based Violence.

It is an international campaign running from the United Nations Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, also known as White Ribbon Day, to December 10 which is Human Rights Day.

It encourages action and awareness against all forms of violence against women and girls.

This year the White Ribbon theme is ‘It Starts with MEn’.

It is a day where we raise awareness, challenge harmful gender norms and encourage everyone to take responsibility for ending male violence.

Once again this year we will take to the streets of Worcester city with a Reclaim the Night march on Thursday, December 5, starting at 6.30pm in Angel Place.

The first march was held in Leeds in 1977 as a protest against the curfew imposed on women and girls by the police.

Women were instructed to stay at home after dark to avoid becoming a victim of the Yorkshire Ripper.

One of the original organisers Al Garthwaite said this advice was “partly what fuelled our anger and rage — that in effect there was a curfew on women but not on men”.

Over the years this advice has been given in different forms by police following murders in both Ipswich in 2006 and Bristol in 2011 where they advised that women should avoid become a victim by not walking home alone after dark — pretty much after 4pm in the winter.

Most recently we have seen the Reclaim the Streets campaign which was intended to be a peaceful protest following the murder of Sarah Everard in March 2021.

All of them highlight the lack of safety for women and girls.

Forty-seven years on and we are still marching and protesting against male violence.

We are in a climate where prosecutions for assaults are decreasing, specialist sexual violence and domestic abuse services are underfunded and women face widespread violence and harassment day-to-day.

It needs to change.

‘It starts with MEn’ recognises the role that all men have in ending male violence.

It is not good enough just to say: “I am one of the good guys.”

It is about being an active bystander/upstander and challenging unacceptable behaviours from other men.

As a centre that supports both sexes and all genders, our Reclaim the Night march is open to all.

It is about raising awareness and demanding investment and support for both survivors and for prevention work.

It is about support and solidarity and to make a noise.

Join us and march for your friends and family, your colleagues, your daughters, yourself — march for all of us, march for a better world free from violence and abuse.

Please come and support us.

For more information on our services visit www.wmrsasc.org.uk.

Our columnist Jocelyn Anderson is CEO for the West Mercia Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (WMRSASC).