Trigger Warning - Violence Against Women
We are saddened by the news of the disappearance and suspected murder of Sarah Everard this week. Women across the UK have been sharing their stories of times they have felt unsafe or vulnerable simply by being alone.
Our streets should be safe for all women, regardless of how they are dressed, where they are walking and at what time of day or night. It’s wrong that the response to violence against women requires women to behave differently.
Time and time again, women who have experienced violence are often blamed for their actions, but even when Sarah Everard followed common safety advice by taking a well lit path, wearing brightly coloured clothes and advising loved ones of her location, it wasn’t enough.
We’re sure that many of our women students and followers have also been affected by this news and may have experienced a time when they felt threatened. We’d like to take this opportunity to highlight our #NeverOK campaign and some of the support services available for victims of sexual violence, harassment and relationship abuse both at Keele and in the local area: https://www.keele.ac.uk/students/lifeoutsideofstudy/neverok/sexualviolence/getsupport/
At Keele we have a proud history of doing all we can to keep our students safe after dark with services such as Street Team and the Safety Bus, but we’d like to hear your suggestions for ways we can ensure the safety of our students no matter where they are.
Ultimately, it’s unacceptable that harassment and violence is so widely experienced by women. If you feel able to, you could help us to demonstrate how endemic this problem is by sharing your stories of times you’ve felt unsafe in our anonymous form.
We know it may be too painful to relive some experiences, but there are other ways to show your support for this message and our #NeverOK campaign: https://keelesu.com/yourunion/campaigns/current/neverok/sexualviolence/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTvSfeCRxe8
If you need support with any of the issues raised here, please also see the below links to further support:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/22VVM5LPrf3pjYdKqctmMXn/information-and-support-sexual-abuse-and-violence
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4WLs5NlwrySXJR2n8Snszdg/emotional-distress-information-and-support