Hundreds of people attended an annual march and vigil in Newquay against sexual violence on Friday night.

The Women’s Centre Cornwall held its Reclaim The Night event to demand safety and freedom for women and girls.

The event began with a candlelit vigil at the Killacourt to honour the lives of the women and children taken by male violence across the UK this year. 

Each woman’s name was read out one by one and each life was represented by a candle and a pebble bearing their name, created by the Young Empowered Women’s Group. 

A candlelight vigil was held at the Killacourt (Submitted)

Following the vigil, there was a live music performance by the Songbirds choir, spoken word poetry by the Young Empowered Women’s Group who were incredibly brave and shared their personal experiences, a dance performance by KBSK Performing Arts and guest speaker Viv Gordon, child sexual abuse survivor-artist-activist.  The vigil was followed by a peaceful women’s march through the streets of Newquay, with people sharing the message that they do not tolerate harassment, abuse and violence and the misogyny that sits at the foundation of it all. 

Police and neighbourhood community response officers were in attendance for security purposes. 

Violence against women and girls continues to be one of the most urgent human rights emergencies in the UK and across the world, with 1 in 3 women being subject to some form of sexual or domestic abuse in their lifetime.  Around 5,900 women were raped or sexually assaulted in the last year alone in Cornwall, and around 14,700 women experienced domestic abuse. 

Jackie May, CEO of The Women’s Centre Cornwall, said: “The message is clear, women and girls do not consent to living in a society where they are not safe, respected and free in all spaces. 

“We need to take action to uproot the misogynistic beliefs, attitudes and behaviour that contribute to a culture of disrespect, abuse and violence towards women and girls.”

The Women’s Centre Cornwall provides life-changing services to over 1,000 women a year through a wide range of projects and services across Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Eastwood Park Prison. The charity is run by women, for women and offers an empowering, women-centred approach to the healing journey. The Women’s Centre Cornwall is asking people to join its #UprootingMisogyny campaign at the start of 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence on Saturday.

For more information and updates on the event, find The Women’s Centre Cornwall on Facebook, @womenscentrecornwall on Instagram or search #ReclaimTheNightCornwall and #UprootingMisogyny