Salisbury stands up against domestic abuse
A 16-day campaign seeks to end violence against women and girls
Salisbury women's groups are standing together as part of a sixteen-day United Nations campaign, to raise awareness of the signs of domestic violence.
The Salisbury branch of the Soroptimist International and Mother's Union, from the Diocese of Salisbury, will be standing together in Salisbury Market Square today (Sunday, 27 November).
The groups teamed up as part of the UN Women's annual #OrangeTheWorld 16 Days of Activism on Violence Against Women.
Members of the two local groups will be staffing a stall to engage with members of the public to discuss these important issues and offer advice on how to spot and escape an abusive situation.
The colour orange symbolises a brighter future, free of violence. It serves as a means of demonstrating our solidarity in eliminating all forms of violence and it is used as the colour of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
The stall will be themed by both organisations to ‘signpost’ the signs of abuse aiming to raise awareness that domestic abuse affects people throughout society and at every stage of life.
A spokesperson for the event said:
"Many women don’t speak out due to fear or feeling ashamed, thinking it is their fault. The myths about domestic abuse need to be dispelled and sexist attitudes to women’s and men’s roles challenged.
"It is easy to miss the signs of a coercive, abusive relationship or to ask for help. Members of both organisations will have information to pass on about domestic abuse and the support services that are available locally to help at times of crisis."
#OrangeTheWorld is an annual worldwide campaign aimed at preventing and eliminating violence against women and girls around the world and seeks to raise the profile of the many forms of abuse that are perpetrated on women and girls.
These include rape, trafficking, domestic violence, coercive control, forced marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM). The colour orange symbolises a brighter future and a world free from violence against women and girls.
The Mothers’ Union members will take a stand to raise awareness of the 1 in 3 women who suffer abuse at some point in their lives, to campaign for an end to violence in all its forms and to speak up for those who are in invisible chains.
An estimated 1.6 million women experience domestic abuse every year, while one in seven children and young people will have lived with domestic violence at some point in their childhood.