Hi everyone!

Today is the Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls. This day, ideally, shouldn't have to exist. But unfortunately it has to. Why? One reason is because 97% of young women in the UK have been sexually harassed. That’s something we’re on a mission to change. So I thought I would use this day to tell you a bit more about what we’ve been working on recently. 



In our higher education work, today we reveal the findings of our survey with The Tab, which revealed an epidemic of sexual harassment and violence in UK Higher Education, with students’ trust in their institutions at shockingly low levels. The statistics are damning: 1 in 5 students reported being spiked and yet less than 1 in 5 students said they would feel comfortable disclosing incidents to their higher education institution. That’s why we’re calling for urgent action, asking them to introduce effective and accessible reporting services, comprehensive support and a widespread and diligent effort to educate and build a community of active bystanders; coupled with a clear and consistent zero tolerance policy and consequences for perpetrators. If you’d like to hear more from us about this work then please do sign up to our NEW newsletter on the matter.

In our schools team we’re excited to have added to our ever-growing set of freely available resources for secondary-aged pupils and their teachers. We hope to raise a generation who are equipped to challenge harassment, oppression, and prejudice; to empathise with those who experience it; and who never become perpetrators of this everyday violence. If you’d like to stay updated on our schools work you can join our existing newsletter here.

As well as our educational work, today is an important day for our legal campaign, as it is the anniversary of our Crime Not Compliment campaign in partnership with Plan International UK. We have made incredible strides this year, particularly with the Government’s announcement in July that they have launched a review into the legislative gaps we have identified. We’ll continue to keep you updated on any key developments in the months to come. 
In the meantime, we're aiming to reach the half a million mark on this petition, so please continue to share it across your socials and your group chats.

Thank you again for supporting our campaign. It really means the world to us. Our work wouldn’t be possible without you.



In solidarity,

Maya Tutton