Lincoln women are uniting to highlight the realities of sexual harassment on the streets.
The tragic death of 33-year-old Sarah Everard, who went missing whilst walking back to her home in Brixton earlier this month, sparked debate about the safety of women in the Lincoln area.
Since the Sarah Everard case, women have united and launched events to bring awareness.
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Jessica Louise Beecham, 26, started a project that encourages women to use chalk to write ‘I am part of the 97%’ on pavements around the city.
She said: “This is all based around the shocking statistic that 97% of women have been sexually harassed and although the statistic in itself is shocking, seeing the streets flooded with women taking it upon themselves to make themselves known will show people that it’s not just a number, and we are people.”
Keeley Valvona, 21, attempted to host a ‘Reclaim the Night’ vigil in Lincoln City Centre last weekend. The event was cancelled after police warned it would break Covid laws.
Lincolnshire Police Chief Inspector Andy Morrice said: “We fully understand our communities may wish to hold vigils to pay their respects to Sarah Everard and under normal circumstances we would be wholeheartedly supportive of this.
“The current COVID-19 restrictions do not permit gatherings like this as there is still a real risk of spreading the virus.”
For more on the issue, see “I’m too scared to walk in Lincoln by myself”