Thursday, November 20, 2014

WAVES Lewisham events at the Deptford Lounge


To mark international day for the elimination of violence and women and girls WAVES (Women Against Violence Expressing Solidarity) are holding a number of events at the Deptford Lounge on 29 November. WAVES is an independent action-focused grassroots organisation founded to enable women to come together to support each other to make Lewisham a place where violence against women and girls is unacceptable, girls and women are safe and able to fulfil their potential. The events are:
 
The naming of the dead 
122 women have been killed through suspected male violence this year. That's one woman dead every 2.49 days. At "The naming of the dead" exhibition one pair of shoes will represent each woman who has been killed by suspected male violence this year. This exhibition is a startling visual reminder of the number of women who fell victim to male violence - often by someone they knew or loved. (I donated some shoes for this exhibition myself).

Performers in support of women
Local women Deanna Rogers, a spoken word poet, and singer-songwriter Lucy Cait will be performing with other presenters from 3pm.

The voices of male allies and library display
A number of local men, including Mayor of Lewisham Sir Steve Bullock, have come together to take a stand against violence against women and girls. In a series of audio recordings by WAVES Lewisham called “The Voices of Male Allies” men talk about what they know about violence against women and girls and what they would do if they knew a man who was being violent or abusive towards his partner, girlfriend or wife.

The audio recordings will form Lewisham’s response to the #HeForShe campaign led by actress Emma Watson.  They will also be played at the Deptford Lounge from 22 November to 29 November.

Kirsty Lowe, Co-Founder of Women Against Violence Expressing Solidarity (WAVES) Lewisham said: “Men can be uncomfortable talking about the violence and abuse of women, sometimes feeling they are being accused or held personally responsible for the actions of other men. WAVES has many male supporters and we wanted to capture them talking about men’s violence to show leadership in making the world a safer place for women and girls. We’d like more men and women to participate in the #BigLewishamConversation on twitter and in real life to explore how, as a community, we can work together to bring an end to violence against women and girls."

For those who cannot attend the events on 29 November, the audio interviews with male allies and a display of library books celebrating the lives and talents of women will be available at the Deptford Lounge from 22 November.

For further information please contact waveslewisham@gmail.com or see their website at: http://waveslewisham.wordpress.com/, on twitter at @waves_lewisham, or on Facebook: facebook.com/WAVESLewisham

(Photo by bitospud on flickr, used with permission)