'Reclaim the Night’ event empowering West Yorkshire’s women and girls

11 October 2024

Empowering women and girls to stand up for safer public spaces after dark will be the focus of a free event hosted by Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin later this month.

Everyone is invited along to Greenhead Park in Huddersfield to hear from guest speakers, come together to call for an end to violence against women and girls and find out more about the many community services available at a range of stalls.

The ‘Reclaim the Night’ event on Sunday October 27, from 2pm-5pm, has been organised to coincide with the clocks going back as women feel particularly vulnerable at this time of the year.

Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said:

“I want West Yorkshire to be a safer, fairer place for all our women and girls.

“It is unacceptable that so many of them are forced into changing their normal routines as the nights become longer.

“With this in mind I would welcome everyone to join us for what promises to be an empowering, uplifting and inclusive event where we can all renew our commitments to building a future free from violence against women and girls."

The event has been organised in collaboration with Al Garthwaite, last year’s Lord Mayor of Leeds, who played a pivotal role in the first Reclaim the Night marches in the city back in 1977.

Al Garthwaite said:

"It's nearly 50 years since we first took to the streets to Reclaim The Night for women and girls, asserting our right to go out without fear.

"The need sadly remains today, so I really welcome Mayor Brabin's event at Greenhead Park, where once more I shall be striding out to Reclaim The Night."

Ever since she was elected as Mayor in 2021, Ms Brabin has made the safety of women and girls one of her top priorities.

Actions include improving support for victims of stalking, launching the viral Just Don’t male behaviour change campaign, creating a dedicated team of PSCOs for the region’s bus network and funding research into how parks can be made safer for women and girls.

The Mayor also launched what is believed to be the country’s first dedicated Women’s Safety Unit earlier this year.

Alison Lowe, West Yorkshire's Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, added:

We continue our vital work with West Yorkshire Police to ensure robust measures are in place for the safety of all women and girls.

“At the same time we are looking closely at the barriers stopping them from feeling safe when out in public, especially at night, and what we can do to overcome them.

“These are not issues we can address on our own, which is why this event is the perfect opportunity to bring partners and members of the public together as we strive for long-term change across West Yorkshire.”

The event will take place in Kirklees, which like the region’s other four districts, has been working closely with the Mayor on a range of different safety initiatives.

One of the area’s most successful has been the introduction and expansion of ‘Safe Zones’ a scheme providing places where women, girls and those at risk can seek help.

For more information about the event, visit https://www.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/reclaimthenight/