Residents from across Rotherham came out in support of the ‘Reclaim the Night’ march which has been celebrating women’s empowerment since 2015.
The walk began at 6pm on 23 November at the Ministry Pavilion, and continued throughout Rotherham Town Centre, with the theme being ‘A Safe Night Out’.
Marchers could be seen holding banners, and there were a variety of chants to be heard through the streets of Rotherham, including: “Whose streets? Our streets” and “We are women, we are strong, this is our town and we belong.”
Despite the cold temperatures, there were many people at the march, many of them with whistles and glowsticks, which were handed out prior to the march to make the message more visible.
Harriet Bowen, 26, from Rotherham, was one of the women who took part in the march, who said it was important to unite women in Rotherham.
She said: “It is important to remind women they are not alone and we all feel the same, so it’s so nice to see such a big group of women come together, as well as the men who are here tonight supporting women too.
“It’s good to let people know that we won’t be quiet, and we will continue to do this every year.”
The event was organised in partnership with Flux Rotherham and South Yorkshire Violence Reduction.
Cllr Emma Hoddinott, one of Reclaim the Night’s organisers, said: “Rotherham held its first Reclaim the Night in 2015 and every year since then, we have come together to talk about issues that women in our town face.
“Part of the event is to meet in the town centre and ‘reclaim the streets’ to highlight how they should be safe for all.”
The march comes just two days before White Ribbon Day, which is recognised internationally as a day to end violence against women and girls.
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Some South Yorkshire based charities and helplines who provide support women have been linked below.
https://www.sheffieldwomensaid.org.uk/
https://www.ywcayorkshire.org.uk/
https://www.changing-lives.org.uk/find-support/cj-women-south-yorkshire
https://southyorkshireviolencereductionunit.com/domestic-abuse/