Conference 2019 - "Violence Against Women: It's Everyone's Issue"

Wednesday 5 June 2019
10:00 15:30

Amnesty International UK Human Rights Action Centre 25 New Inn Yard London, England, EC2A 3EA United Kingdom (map)

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This year's White Ribbon UK Conference is about looking to the future. We now have over 2000 people in our nationwide network of volunteers and more than 100 organisations who work with us in changing cultures within local communities, businesses, schools, colleges and universities - an increasing number of accredited organisations.

Violence against women and girls is an institutionalised issue we need to work together to end.

What are the next steps in effecting real change moving forward?

How do we reach the people and organisations who are still to engage with the campaign?

The conference will hear from leading speakers, share information about developing policy and illustrate the work that is making a difference to end the violence and create a safer, equal world for women.

Keynote Speaker:

Luke Hart: “The links between masculinity, coercive control and murder”.

On 19 July 2016, Claire and Charlotte Hart were murdered in broad daylight, by the family’s father using a sawn-off shotgun. He then committed suicide.

Luke and his younger brother Ryan, the two surviving sons, now openly share their story to raise awareness of coercive and controlling behaviour. So far, they have trained police officers, police community support officers, NHS personnel and legal professionals in the Crown Prosecution Service. They are White Ribbon Ambassadors and Refuge Champions speaking out against male violence towards women and children. They have released their book Operation Lighthouse, telling their story and challenging myths and stereotypes surrounding domestic abuse and coercive control.

Other Speakers:

Dr. Rosemary Hill: “Sexual violence at gigs and concerts: experiences, responses and prevention”.

Rosemary Lucy Hill is a Senior Lecturer in Media Studies in the School of Music, Humanities and Media at University of Huddersfield. She is the author of Gender, Metal and the Media: Women Fans and the Gendered Experience of Music (Palgrave). She researches gender, popular music and big data, and is currently investigating sexual violence at live music events.

Leslie Lee: “#MeToo - What’s Next? The importance of storytelling in solving the problem of gender-based violence”.

Leslie Lee is a New York-born, London-based producer/director who works in documentary and factual TV for US/UK broadcasters. A great people- and story finder, her credits range from true crime to food: Working With Weinstein (Channel Four, shortlist Grierson Awards 2018), Nothing Personal (Investigation Discovery), Paranormal Witness (Syfy), How Do They Do It? (Discovery), Why Don't You Speak English? (Channel Four) and The Best of British Takeaways (BBC2).

Dr. Stephen Burrell: “What works to engage men and boys on gender, relationships and violence?”

Dr. Stephen Burrell is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Sociology at Durham University, where he is based in the Centre for Research into Violence and Abuse (CRiVA). Stephen is passionate about violence prevention and pro-feminism, and recently completed a PhD researching efforts to engage men and boys in the prevention of men's violence against women in England. One of the projects he is currently working on has been commissioned by the Government Equalities Office, to investigate the impacts of masculine gender norms in the UK and how to engage effectively with men and boys about gender and relationships.

Gavin Newlands (Chair, White Ribbon APPG): “A View From Westminster”.

Gavin Newlands is the Member of Parliament for Paisley and Renfrewshire North and is proud to Chair the All-Party Parliamentary Group for White Ribbon UK, and to serve as an Ambassador for both White Ribbon UK and White Ribbon Scotland. He also represents the SNP as Westminster Spokesperson on Sport, and as Spokesperson on Northern Ireland and Wales and sits on the House of Commons Justice Select Committee.