Shropshire campaigner's shoe display marks women's deaths at the hands of men
On Saturday, a domestic abuse survivor from Shropshire displayed 80 women's shoes in Newport town centre in a powerful message about domestic violence.
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Statistics provided by the Femicide Census show that a woman is killed, on average, every three days in the UK.
Over the last ten years, 898 women have been victims of domestic homicides. Of these, 698 victims - or 78 per cent - were killed by a partner or ex-partner. More than 92 per cent of female homicide victims were killed by a man.
On International Women's Day, as the government reiterated its commitment to halving violence against women and girls within a decade, Salopian Tess Lynam took to the streets of Newport to demonstrate the human cost of the crisis.
The 31-year-old - who has herself experienced domestic abuse - created a display from 80 pairs of women's shoes, which she says represents the women killed by men in the UK over the last year.
"A visual, impactful statement like this is good to get people to stop and reflect," she said. "It's to get people speaking about it - because it's a very taboo subject."
The project - which was also raising money for Women's Aid - has been supported by local councillor Thomas Janke, whose mother was also a victim of domestic abuse.
Councillor Janke said: "Domestic violence is a stain on our society. It's very important that community campaigners like Tess are out there with this message, raising awareness.
"Through her courage, it's going to help inspire others to come forward and hopefully find a path out of their own personal hell.
"Without these kind of campaigns, without these kind of charities, domestic violence will continue going unchecked and sadly fatalities will continue to happen."
Anyone suffering from domestic violence or who knows someone who might be can reach out to the following organisations:
National Domestic Abuse Helpline: For 24/7 confidential support, call 0808 2000 247 or visit www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid: Access a live chat service, local support services, and educational resources at www.womensaid.org.uk.
TWC Safeguarding Partnership: Telford and Wrekin Safeguarding Partnership (TWSP) is responsible for making sure that children, young people and adults are kept safe in Telford and Wrekin www.telfordsafeguardingpartnership.org.uk/domesticabuse
Rape Crisis England & Wales: Specialist services for survivors of sexual violence. Call 0808 802 9999 or visit www.rapecrisis.org.uk
