Waves team: Recent Episodes
Waves team
Women Against Violence Expressing Solidarity - a grassroots organisation promoting a community based response to violence against women & girls in Lewisham
Lewisham Leading Men talk about their commitment to help end domestic violence. They also talk candidly about their shock at the figures which are exceptionally high in the Lewisham borough. Del Strain, comedian and Broadcaster, Sir Steve Bullock Mayor of Lewisham, Justin Davies, Detective Chief Inspector at MPS Lewisham. Peter Dacres, trainer for Street League and Rushey Green Clr James Walsh who talks about being asked to come and look at his mother who had her head pushed through the banisters at home.
Hear Steve Tibbert talk about how communities can better protect women and girls and how they should be treated as equals.
Councillor James Walsh wants to make sure the right services are in place so the immediate impacts of violence can be dealt with. He also wants to see preventative measures, such as working with those who are at risk, working with those people who have offended and have been abusive to women and girls. Enabling them to be rehabilitated. This and other interviews will be played @DeptfordLounge from 22-29 November as part of @WAVES_Lewisham #HeForShe contribution.
Rushy Green Councillor James Walsh gives a frank interview about what it was like to experience domestic abuse as a child.
When James was 10 years old his mother met and married his step-father. What followed was 5 years of domestic abuse and fear of the man’s “volcanic temper … there was always something bubbling under the surface”.
James speak’s out as part of @WAVES_Lewisham contribution to the UN Women #HeForShe campaign. He is helping WAVES to promote a day of activity at the Deptford Lounge on 29 November from 10am – 5pm.
In interviews yet to be released James will talk about how the abuse he experienced has affected him as an adult and how he wants to help prevent violence and abuse from happening to other women and children.
Detective Chief Inspector Justin Davies from the Metropolitan Police Service in Lewisham (@MPSLewisham) has increased the number of officers who work on domestic abuse cases by around 10% since he started in the role 6 months ago. This is an important step given that there have been 2,486 reports of domestic abuse in the past 12 months, an increase of around 20% on the previous year.
Justin speaks out as part of Lewisham’s contribution to the UN Women #HeForShe campaign created by @WAVES_Lewisham. Listen to him talk about his commitment to prosecuting men who are violent towards women, his plea for women to come forward for help from the police and support services and what he would do if he knew someone who was being abusive to his partner.
In the first of our #HeForShe interviews with men, Mayor of Lewisham Sir Steve Bullock reassures us that while there is no evidence of the large-scale sexual exploitation of girls seen in Rotherham happening in Lewisham, if he assumed the sexual exploitation of children was not happening within the Borough he would be failing any victims. He states he would like people in Lewisham to be vigilant and for professionals to learn from the experiences of others. #BigLewishamConversation
When Roz Hardie, co-founder of Women Against Violence Expressing Solidarity (@waves), saw a man in #Lewisham harassing his ex-partner she was worried for the safety of woman. She wanted to intervene but feared for her own safety too. When she shouted for others to help she didn't know what to expect. And when a group of young black men circled the perpetrator and talked him down, without being violent or aggressive she was heartened. This act of defiance sent a clear message that men in Lewisham care about the safety of women and will not tolerate abuse towards them. Listen to this recording of Roz from WAVES recounting the incident to get the full story.
Men's violence against women and girls is a problem that affects everyone. Many men are not perpetrators but are not always comfortable challenging other men on the subject. In this series of candid interviews local men talk about their experiences and knowledge of men's violence towards women and commit to challenging violent and abusive behaviour when they are of it. These interviews will be played on @WAVES_Lewisham audioboom channel and at the @deptfordlounge as part of #VAWG awareness raising within #Lewisham from 22 November 2014. http://waveslewisham.wordpress.com/