Southend Charity highlights importance of women's safety on our streets
Safe Steps have recently held a Reclaim the Night event in the city to unite different organisations
An Essex domestic abuse safety organisation has hailed it's Reclaim the Night event a success, as we discuss the importance of women's safety on our streets.
Safe Steps used the event to unite different organisations from across the county, to show the support and advice that is available for women in Essex who have experienced domestic abuse, and to take the night back as evenings get darker.
It was part of the 16 Days of Activism, and now the organisation have spoken to Greatest Hits Radio about the importance of women's safety.
"It was definitely a vehicle to pull the organisations together"
Sarah Conlon's Safe Step's CEO, and says being able to unite organisations across the county was a big step in enabling women to see what support is there, as well as highlighting how we need to make changes to see eradication of violence against women and girls.
"For general safety, it is street lighting, it's identifying where these hotspots are and introducing CCTV and things like that.
"A whole system approach is what's needed, looking at, you know, not just firefighting what's happening, and not just dealing with the aftermath, but looking at prevention, challenging public attitudes and some of the misogyny that kind of underpins that violent behaviour."
Currently, women across Essex are being encouraged to participate in a survey which is recording areas where they feel safe and unsafe.
The information will then be fed back to local areas to inform about what strategies are going to be needed and where.
Last year, a Night Time Safety Survey was launched by Essex County Council, which found 47% of the respondents felt most unsafe at night, affecting both men and women.
"We're just doing our jobs"
"We're just doing our jobs - that's what we're doing. Events like we had earlier this month, that's a a huge part to promote in general women's safety.
"But for us with domestic abuse, we're cracking on, sleeves up and getting our day job done. In Southend we're working with about 800 new cases a year - just in Southend alone.
"We do have compass, which is the domestic abuse helpline in Essex, and that will be fully operational over the Christmas Period."
For Sarah, her team and the other organisations which have banded together to help to tackle violence against women and girls in Essex, Southend and Thurrock, they believe events such as the Reclaim the Night march is working to help battle this violence, however, there are worries that it shouldn't be needed.
"There was an awful lot of positivity to the day as well, you know, kind of acknowledging what great work does go on and what different organisations like us are making, but also there was it was tinged with a little bit of awareness, sadness that in 2023, we're still having to do this.
"The problem still exists."
More information on Safe Steps can be foundhere, and the survey can be found at www.essexcommsafety.commonplace.is.
Support lines for domestic abuse can be found through Essex COMPASS on 0330 3337444 or Essex Synergy for sexual abuse support on 0300 003777.