Today (6 December 2018) Welsh Women’s Aid is bringing activists and industry professionals together to discuss how we create real and lasting change in Wales.
As part of this year’s 16 days of activism against gender based violence, we are asking activists, industry professionals and survivors to come together to take actions to challenge attitudes and change cultures which allow sexual harassment to flourish.
In our session we will look at commitments to robust work place polices, clear procedures of accountability, effective training and promotion of gender equality. We look forward to hearing thoughts, views and ideas on how to make Wales a nation where women live free from harassment and have the opportunity to thrive in a safe and equal society.
Over the last year, millions of courageous survivors of sexual harassment, sexual assault, rape, domestic violence, female genital mutilation, forced marriage, so-called ‘honour’ based violence and all forms of violence against women have raised their voices to say #MeToo in solidarity with their sisters across the world.
1 in 3 women in Wales experience physical or sexual violence at some point in their lives but we know the shame women experience can silence them into not speaking out about their experiences. We are using this dialogue session to say to our sisters across Wales, we see you, we hear you and we will take action.
Today, we commit to collectively act on calling:
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Time’s up on perpetrators’ behaviour going unacknowledged, unchallenged and unpunished.
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Time’s up on women and girls living with the everyday experience of harassment, intimidation, violence and abuse
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Time’s up on an era when survivors of sexual harassment are not believed and blamed for daring to be in ‘the wrong place at the wrong time’
Sexual harassment is not inevitable, we can prevent it by standing up to it together. We call for a world where communities challenge harassment, violence and abuse of women and girls, where there is zero-tolerance of sexual harassment in our educational institutions, our workplaces and in our UK Parliament and National Assembly for Wales. And where our specialist support services across Wales are sustainably funded so that they are accessible whenever and wherever survivors need them.
#TimesUp #WalesWontStandBy
In solidarity!