Torch-lit vigil held to highlight gendered violence in Bailiwick

That was one of the key messages to come out of the peaceful protest in Market Square last night which saw around 400 people gather together to take a stance against gendered violence in the Bailiwick.

Simply turning a blind eye or remaining naive to the fact that there is an issue here is not going to help women feel safe, they said.

A number of women stood in front of the crowd and shared their devastating personal accounts of sexual assault and harassment that have taken place in the island.

At the end of the speeches, a torch-lit vigil was held in memory of all women who had been lost to gendered violence.

For two minutes Camille Brouard read out the names of women who had lost their lives, although these were just a fraction of the total number.

While each of the speakers had their own stories, between them they mentioned dozens of other incidents that were known to them from friends, family members or colleagues.

They said it would take the whole community to shift the culture around sexual harassment and assault so women will no longer need to ‘shrug off’ being groped or taken advantage of on nights out as ‘something that just happens to girls’.

Anna Harvey spoke of her and her friends’ experiences in Town and said all too often they have to be the ones to walk away, while the man gets off scot-free or even gets laughs from his friends.

‘We need to start speaking out and stop ignoring the things that we have just brushed off in the past,’ she said.

‘I don’t even class myself as a victim of sexual assault because it has been so normalised, these things happen so often.’

Many of the speakers said they were pleased to see men in the crowd.

For years women have been taking steps to protect themselves; walking on well-lit roads, holding their keys between their fingers in case they are needed as a weapon, texting their friends when they are home safe.

But still they can do everything ‘right’ and still find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong company.

Nothing will change without a shift in culture from the whole community, men included, so they were called on to call out their friends when they behave inappropriately. They were encouraged to listen to their female friends about how certain situations can make them feel.

And they were urged to help make a difference.

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‘Not all men are bad, but almost all women will experience sexual harassment or assault. So it is up to all men to ensure they are part of the solution,’ Deputy Gavin St Pier said at the end of his speech.

Before the vigil, Guernsey Police wrote on social media that they were acutely aware of the importance of this event following news in recent weeks.

‘As we go forward, we will continue to do our best to offer victims of sexual crime and harassment the best service possible and we will listen to the community about how we can improve the way we enforce the law in this area.’

They said everyone needs to challenge perpetrators of this appalling behaviour in a way that delivers meaningful change and recognised that law enforcement must play a part in this.