Ending violence against women and girls: It starts with men

When police chiefs declared Violence Against Women and Girls a national emergency in July, it only confirmed what women and girls in my constituency already know to be true.

They know it every time they walk alone and grip their keys between their fingers. They know it when they text their friends to tell them they got home safely. And too many of them know it when they open their front door and worry what will confront them behind it.

Just days before the announcement in July a report from Plan International UK named Blackpool the second toughest town to be a girl. Sexual harassment and assault is one notable contributor to the place-based inequality young women in my constituency face, and one of the reasons they are not free to live healthy and safe lives.

The night time economy in Blackpool presents a particular challenge. Women have described how, growing up in a town where people come for a good time and to shed their inhibitions for a weekend, they feel they are seen as ‘fair game’.

But women have also been speaking out against this toxic culture. More than 350 of them have publicly shared their experiences of public sexual harassment and abuse by plotting their stories on Reclaim Blackpool Map.

This grassroots project is a stark visual reminder of the threats of violence and abuse that women face every day. From catcalling and unwanted advances to spiking and violent sexual assault, these women are challenging the culture of silence and dismissal, and reclaiming the power that is taken from them when they become victims of harassment and abuse. And by demonstrating the harmful effects of sexual harassment, the importance healthy relationships and women’s rights, they are providing a counter narrative to the prolific misogynistic culture boys are exposed to and creating strong male allies.

I am proud to stand in solidarity with these women. Tonight I will march with them to Reclaim the Night.

I am also extremely proud to have been a White Ribbon Ambassador for the past five years. The theme for this year’s White Ribbon Day is It Starts With Men. I understand that the fear of male violence is also a barrier to more men standing up against it. It is the responsibility of public figures like me to lead by example and create an environment where the fear of being challenged for misogynistic behaviour outweighs the fear of challenging it.

Many of the other contributors that make Blackpool the second toughest place to be a girl stem from the multiple deprivations that people in my constituency face. Of course this affects boys and men too and is undoubtedly a huge contributor to the increasing alienation and disenfranchisement that drives them online. There they discover the toxic influence of the manosphere where women are scapegoated as the root of the problems boys are facing.

“We must also educate ourselves on how to spot the signs of this radicalisation, that begins online but all too quickly reveals itself in classrooms, workplaces, public spaces – and of course, behind closed doors. ”

We must challenge this online culture by using our platforms to promote positive male influencers while educating our boys and men on the harmful messaging they are encountering online. We must also educate ourselves on how to spot the signs of this radicalisation, that begins online but all too quickly reveals itself in classrooms, workplaces, public spaces – and of course, behind closed doors.

The links between cycles of poverty and cycles of abuse are clear and in this context it is unsurprising that Blackpool South is a particularly tough place to be a girl. The White Ribbon campaign rightly calls for more work on prevention and I support their calls for investment in initiatives aimed at addressing the underlying factors contributing to VAWG.

Ending violence against women and girls starts with men. This doesn’t just mean perpetrators. It’s for men in positions of power and influence – from politicians and social media CEOs, to celebrities and online influencers – to lead by example. And its for men in the workplace and in social, public and private spaces, to challenge misogyny when we see it by being active bystanders.

We must do the work and hold ourselves accountable to women and to each other to effect real change.