Vigil to be in memory of women lost to violence
GUERNSEY is not immune to issues of sexual assault, sexist violence and misogyny, which is why a peaceful protest is being held in memory of all of the women affected by and lost to violence.
Following the devastating news in the UK that Sarah Everard was murdered on her 2.5 mile walk home from visiting a friend, a group of organisers have begun planning a local event to show solidarity for women and highlight the fact that there is an issue here in Guernsey, too.
Inside today's paper we publish harrowing anonymous accounts of sexual violence in the island.
Joey De Mouilpied said the recent media coverage of the Sarah Everard case had brought a lot of feelings to the surface, with a lot of women locally thinking about the precautions they have been told to take to protect themselves.
‘Women should not have to feel afraid to walk home alone at night but so many of us have been there, keys in hand, pretending to be on the phone, crossing the street to avoid footsteps behind us and texting our worried friends to let them know we got home safely,’ Sian Jones added.
‘Even in Guernsey, assaults are still happening.’
Guernsey is regularly viewed as a ‘safe’ place to live, and while extreme cases like Sarah’s might be rare, the scope of sexual harassment and assault and sexist violence is incredibly broad and far-reaching.
Daisy Chapple said it has become second-nature for girls to text their friends when they are home safe; something that many men do not have to worry about.
Gwen Le Blond agreed, saying all women at some point, no matter who they are, are likely to have felt scared or intimidated, or worry for a friend that has decided to walk home.
Conversations on this topic recently have highlighted how many women have been affected, with a UN Women UK survey revealing that 97% of women aged 18-24 had been sexually harassed and 80% of women of all ages said they had experienced sexual harassment in public spaces.
Camille Brouard said that for a long time the narrative had been about things women could do, or needed to do, to protect themselves, rather than addressing the route of the problem.
‘Some men are also victims of sexual assault, but this is a gendered issue that disproportionately affects women, which is what we will be focussing on at the peaceful protest - although we hope allies of women will join us, too,’ she said.
Statistics show that the vast majority of sexual assaults are not reported to the police.
‘I think for a lot of people it is too traumatising to bring it all up again, and with such low conviction rates it almost makes you think “What’s the point?”,’ Ms Brouard said.
The women organising the event emphasised how important it was for men to support women on these issues, encouraging them to call their friends out if they see them behaving inappropriately on a night out or making someone feel uncomfortable.
Miss Chapple said: ‘Saying “Oh, boys will be boys” or “He’s only doing that because he likes you” is a narrative that is shifting, but the problem hasn’t gone yet.
‘None of these problems will end until we start changing the culture.’
In a small community like Guernsey they believe that, with the right attitudes, these changes could happen quite quickly.
Ms Jones works to support people with mental health issues and said one of the most common reasons women and young girls are struggling is due to a past experience of sexual violence.
The organisers hope the event will encourage women and their allies to support other women, to open the door to conversations about sexual assault and sexist behaviour.
There will also be a candle or torch-lit vigil for Sarah Everard and others who have lost their lives because of gendered violence.
Anyone who would like to speak at the event is asked to reach out to any of the organisers via DM.
Now that the Civil Contingencies Authority have made a decision that the island will move to Stage 3 of the exit from lockdown on Monday, a firm date, time and location will be announced in a further article.
Keep an eye on the ‘Reclaim These Streets Guernsey’ Facebook page for more.
Friend's death sparks idea for vigil
ONE of the organisers of the vigil that is being planned has shared a tragic story of assault which is close to her heart and sparked her inspiration to hold an event locally.
Joey De Mouilpied said the heartbreaking story of Sarah Everard’s murder resonated with her as it coincided with the nine-year anniversary of losing her friend Lara Jones, who was travelling in Cuba.
‘Lara, who was 26 at the time, was a vibrant, funny, kind and loyal friend,’ Ms De Mouilpied said.
‘She was following her dream to teach children living in poverty. She took every precaution that women are told to take, staying in a female-only hostel with security, not going out alone at night and letting family know where she was. She was murdered in her room by a male security guard, who gave no explanation why.
‘Her family and friends set up a foundation in order to pursue Lara’s dream of helping underprivileged children gain education.’
Ms De Mouilpied said she was so angry that the conversation has not changed in nine years.
‘Women are still being told to protect themselves from men and sexual assault which makes victims ashamed, then because they blame themselves they feel unable to come forward to report their attacker.
‘While what happened to Lara was not a local incident, since setting up this event my inbox is full of accounts from survivors of horrific sexual assaults which have gone unreported in Guernsey.’
Island has its own sad record of violence against women
