Five thought-provoking films designed to get people to explore attitudes towards women and girls, premiered at an event at the Council House this morning.
From toddlers playing, to men in their 50s talking about how they used to view women and young people’s experiences on social media, the short films have put a very Plymouth slant on how to change the conversation and make the city feel safer.
NSPCC Together for Childhood has teamed up with local community leaders from Stonehouse to develop the project which is now ready to reach audiences of all ages across Plymouth.
The aim was to start conversations about how to make local streets in Stonehouse feel safer and to work together to prevent harm from happening in the first place.
The area was chosen because of its proximity to the city’s clubs and bars and the group comprised Nudge Community builders, Diversity incubator, Street Pastors, Pubwatch, Police, Plymouth Community Homes as well as representatives from the Council.
Shelley Shaw, Development and Impact Manager at NSPCC said: “It’s been a great journey coming together to discuss the issues facing women and girls on our streets. We wanted to get at the root of the problem and start looking at how to change attitudes and norms.
“We started having wider conversations, talking about male role models and male peer support, beliefs, behaviours, cycles of abuse, values, and shame and want to share these, which is why we have created these short videos.”
Made by local people, for local people, they are designed to be a tool to support learning, provoke conversation and influence change, she said. Each film has a different message delivered by community ‘actors’ across generations.
Each film comes with a support sheet for those delivering in a learning environment. They address online abuse, lived experiences, young people’s voices, gender attitudes and beliefs.
Shelley added: “We want these films to inform and support discussions with teachers, parents, carers, children, young people, community leaders and other professionals. We want to see a generation where violence against women and girls is not tolerated and where men can speak up and challenge each other and themselves."
The project was made possible by Safer Streets 3 which was funded by the Home Office. The fund specifically targets Violence against Women and Girls crimes and aims to improve feelings of safety by ‘strengthening the local environment to improve safe passage, targeted prevention activity and helping the community to develop their own solutions, reclaim community spaces and improve guardianship.’
Councillor Rebecca Smith, chair of the Violence Against Women and Girls Commission for the city said: “We have said from the start that we need to look at changing attitudes and know that’s not an overnight thing. These videos are great. They help people question what they do and what they say.
“They could not come at a better time. We have the 16 Days of Action which is an annual and international campaign that is designed to highlight the issue of violence against women and girls.”
The group have also created a wallet card that includes a QR code for people to scan for support services if they are worried about something. It also has a clear definition of violence against women and girls which reads: “Violence against you as a woman or girl can be physical, sexual, emotional, mental or all of these.
"It can include not being free to go where you want, do what you want by being under someone’s control. This can be in the home, on the street, in school, in any public place, online - By anyone at all at any time of day or night.”
These are available at the launch events and by contacting the Together for Childhood team at TFCPlymouth@nspcc.org.uk
For more about support available to victims of violence visit www.survivorpathway.org.uk/plymouth