Wiltshire marks International Women's Day
Around 200 people took to the streets on Friday (7/3) calling for a safer world
Around 200 people took to the streets of Trowbridge on Friday night (7/3) calling for the world to be safer for women.
It was part of an event led by Wiltshire-based domestic abuse charity, FearFree and Trowbridge distillery The Still Sisters, ahead of International Women's Day (8/3).
CEO Debbie Beadle told us the event, called Free The Night, seeks to challenge cultural themes that leave women feeling vulnerable at night.
"So often women do not feel safe at night and we want this to be a positive time and to challenge the rape culture and misogyny that we're seeing that means that people often don't feel safe at night," she said.
It's the first event of it's kind the charity has held, with Debbie describing it at as exciting moment for the charity and as a chance to celebrate creating a safe positive experience on our streets.
She said the response to the event, which saw every available space taken, was incredible.
Business owner highlights need for change
FearFree has partnered with Trowbridge distillery, The Still Sisters for the event.
Co-owner Tori Jordan told us it's vital men stand alongside women on International Women's Day.
"Men are our allies in this," she said, adding: "We want people to walk, to work and feel safe. We want people to be able to walk home or go for a run.
"We want everybody to be able to do those things safely, and it's about a standing together and saying and we're coming together as community and saying no, this is what we want and this is what our community wants."
She told us it was 'incredible' that so many people took part in the event.
"The tickets sold out quite quickly, which is just phenomenal, and it just goes to show that this is what people want. They want to come out in the night time and they want to feel safe and they want to be able to party.
"They want to be able to have fun and a good time and feel safe doing that."
Tori said that, as a business owner, it does bring worries that staff and customers leaving her bar late at night.
"You feel a huge responsibility as a business owner. You've got customers that you want to look after. You've got team members that you want to look after.
"So you feel this huge responsibility and it worries us because we're thinking, what are you going to get home safely?"
But that is exactly what she's hoping Free the Night helps to change.
Political prisoner to speak in Salisbury
Meanwhile in Salisbury, former political prisoner and author Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe will be speaking at Salisbury Cathedral.
She will share experiences as a political prisoner in Iran in a conversation with The Rt Reverend Karen Gorham, Bishop of Sherborne.
It follows her arrest at Tehran airport in 2016 during a visit to her parents with her young daughter. Her arrest was made on national security charges.
After being held for almost six years for diplomatic leverage, Zaghara-Ratcliffe was released suddenly in 2022 following a public campaign by her husband Richard.
The conversation takes place at 7:30pm with tickets free, but required to be booked in advance.
The city's bus operator, Salisbury Reds is also holding a special event to encourage more women to join the bus industry.
Women from the organisation will be in the city's Guildhall Square to chare their experiences and take questions about working 'on the buses' with the chance to sign up for a driving experience at the Reds' depot in Castle Street.
“Across the UK, women are still vastly under-represented in this field - although this is improving at Salisbury Reds with although this is improving at Salisbury Reds with 19 new female drivers in the last year - and eight due to start soon. We are working hard to encourage more to consider working within the bus industry as a driver or engineer,” said Salisbury Reds head of communications, Nikki Honer.
“We often hear from women that they don’t feel they could drive a bus. We know this is not the case. If they can drive a car, we will teach them the rest. With the right training, it’s far easier than many might think."