A Reclaim The Night march will take place on Monday September 29, gathering at the Stirling Castle Esplanade at 7pm.
The march, organised by the University of Stirling Students’ Union, Forth Valley Rape Crisis Centre, and Stirling & Districts Women’s Aid, focuses on the safety of women and marginalised genders in public spaces at night.
Reclaim The Night represents a global movement empowering marginalised genders to stand up for their right to safe spaces after dark. As the evenings draw in, threats hidden in the darkness become a violent reality to women across the world.
In 2021 – 2022, Scotland witnessed 2,498 crimes of rape and attempted rape recorded by Police Scotland, and 5,359 crimes of sexual assault recorded by Police Scotland.
Across the UK, one in four female students has reported unwanted sexual behaviour whilst studying at university. These statistics only represent the cases which have been brought forward – five out of six women who are raped don’t report.
48 years on from the Reclaim The Night’s birth in 1977, the marches continue to send a vital message about women’s safety at night.
Brig spoke to Stirling Students’ Union about the importance of Reclaim The Night and the motivation behind organising the march. Ellie Hammond, VP Communities, said: “Reclaim the Night represents a predominant issue that impacts everybody in our community.
“If you think gender-based violence and misogyny doesn’t affect you; it does.
“The importance of this event within the community holds with it a powerful social purpose.
“It embodies a challenge to the idea that safety should be earned, or that women (or other marginalised genders) should avoid going out at night or modify their behaviour to stay safe.”
We asked about Ellie’s motivation to organise a Reclaim the Night march in Stirling.
She said: “I believe that our students, and other members of our incredible Stirling community, deserve to feel safe both on our campus and in the city centre.
“I was motivated to organise this Reclaim the Night march by the aim of creating a safe space for expression, by allowing people to share their stories, express anger, grief, or hope and come together in a safe, supportive environment.
“To not only raise awareness of the prevalence of sexual assault, harassment, and violence, particularly against women and marginalised genders, but to show our community that there is support available.
“I hope this event will empower the community by providing a visible show of solidarity and help survivors to feel supported and less alone.
“I also hope the event will give people, especially women and other marginalised genders, a sense of ownership over public spaces where they might otherwise feel unsafe.”
Featured Image Credit: Alice Pollard
Journalism student at the University of Stirling & BRAW Magazine editor 24/25 and 25/26 🙂
You can see my portfolio here: https://www.clippings.me/alicepollard
