You should know
‘Is this normal?’ Girls in Wales lead research on levels of vulnerability amongst women in their community
In support of White Ribbon Day, young women in Wales have founded the You Should Know Project to raise awareness about the lived experiences of women and girls. In a new video addressing the fear of violence, they share findings from their research into levels of vulnerability amongst women and girls in their community. This story was originally published in the You Should Know project newsletter.
A group of girls at Ysgol Greenhill produced a powerful video about the fear of violence experienced by young women and girls in public settings. It started with a question: ‘When we are alone at night, we feel nervous and scared — is this normal?’
From this conversation, the group discovered these feelings of vulnerability and fear were surprisingly common, but wanted to know if others outside their group also had similar experiences. The group came up with a plan to research levels of vulnerability of women and girls in their community, starting with four questions:
1. What makes you feel unsafe?
2. Can you think of a time you were vulnerable?
3. Do you feel safe walking alone?
4. What makes you feel safe?
These questions were put to women from all walks of life via a questionnaire and 1:1 interviews. The results confirmed what the group had originally thought: most, if not all, women and girls feel unsafe. The group wanted to share their findings with the world and decided an educational video would be the best way to do this.
They worked together to design and direct a video. The creative aspect was clear; they wanted it to reflect real life situations that most women have found themselves in.
The video has been shared across social media, gaining considerable momentum locally, and has inspired the group to continue their efforts to raise awareness about the fear of violence experienced by women and girls.
So, what’s next? The group have designed posters and business cards to share with women and girls in their community and with local business to ensure women feel seen and supported.