Interview: Ceini Bowen and Sally Patterson

Ceini Bowen and Sally Patterson have organised Bristol’s Reclaim the Night march, which will take place on Saturday, November 25. They are both part of Bristol University’s Women’s Network, which fights for gender equality and brings the issue to the attention of students.

This year marks 40 years of Reclaim the Night marches in the UK. Ceini and Sally explain why the event is so important, particularly in the wake of a recent string of high-profile sexual harassment allegations, and the thousands of women worldwide who shared their experiences of sexual violence using the #metoo hashtag.  

What is Reclaim the Night, and what does the event aim to do?

Ceini: Reclaim the Night is a march through the streets of Bristol to campaign against gender-based violence and gender inequality. It’s part of a national movement, aiming to give women both a voice and an opportunity to reclaim the streets at night during an empowering – and safe – event. The marches began in the UK in 1977, and sadly, 40 years later, we walk for the same reasons our feminist forerunners did.

Women in contemporary society continue to face rape, sexual violence and sexual harassment. Ministry of Justice figures tell us that one in five women in the UK aged 16-59 has experienced some form of sexual violence. We continue to face verbal, physical, online and sexual assault everyday, and we are marching together on November 25 to take back the night and say enough is enough.

Bristol students at the head of the Reclaim the Night march 2016

Why have you personally got involved with the march?

Sally: As the Women’s Officer for Bristol Student’s Union, my primary concern is for the safety and wellbeing of women on campus. Unfortunately, students are no strangers to sexual assault, violence and abuse; if anything, incidents at university are disproportionately high. Marginalised groups are particularly vulnerable to sexual harassment and assault, especially those from the LGBT+ community. As students, it is our responsibility to engage with these issues, both on and off campus, and Reclaim the Night allows us to do exactly this.

Ceini: I was raised by self-confessed feminist parents, so I have always been keenly aware of both the feminist movement and the continuing existence of gender inequalities in UK society. Having written my undergraduate thesis on 1990s UK feminism, it was depressing and disappointing to feel such an affinity with the women and the problems they sought to tackle – so many of the issues they raised continue to vex women today.

Whilst completing my undergraduate studies, I was struck by both the normalization of sexual harassment across the student body and the fears of my female contemporaries regarding being safe when alone on the streets at night. I believe that the Reclaim the Night march is a great way to start conversations about sexual harassment that are much needed – but, more than that, it enables women across both the university and the city of Bristol to come together to take back the night and reclaim our voices.

As you mentioned, this event is being run by university students. Why do you feel that it’s important for young people get behind campaigns like this?

Sally: Students have always been at the forefront of driving social and political change, and Bristol SU embodies this culture. It strives to tackle the injustice that is endemic within society, from period poverty to refugee rights. Something that is particularly inspiring about student activism is its capacity to bring people together and support one another, even on issues that don’t necessarily affect individuals personally. It is this willingness to engage in the conversation and learn from one another’s experiences that makes the student movement so strong, and this is why our Reclaim the Night march is open to people of all genders, ages and walks of life

The timing of the event takes on particular significance this year, following accusations against high-profile men. Will this be reflected in the event?

Ceini: In the wake of the Weinstein allegations and the subsequent #metoo campaign, the event is particularly pertinent. I think there is a particular sense of enragement amongst young women at the moment. The #metoo campaign highlighted how ubiquitous sexual harassment is throughout contemporary society, with women from all sorts of backgrounds having faced and overcome sexual assault.

We hope to capture and channel this sense of outrage at the event. Too often sexual harassment is normalised or ignored. We hope that the high-profile allegations, whilst horrific, do start conversations and spark activism in order to challenge and prevent sexual abuse and harassment. The march will be one such example of women collectively standing up to say no to a culture of sexual harassment.

Sally: The recent surge of allegations within the media industry and political sphere have undeniably refocused the spotlight on sexual harassment and assault, meaning that Reclaim the Night is particularly poignant this year. However, we must be cautious: sexual harassment is not a thing of the past, and we are not celebrating its abolition. Ending gendered violence is an ongoing and painful process, both for its victims and wider society, and there is so much more to be done.

Bristol’s Reclaim the Night march takes place on Saturday, November 25 2017. Find out more about the march and the month-long Reclaim campaign Bristol SU Women’s Network are running this year at www.bristolsu.org.uk/student-voice/campaigns/reclaim- bristol-2017