Soroptimist International St Albans and District Oranging the World and saying NO! to violence against women in 2023 #OrangeTheWorldHerts – Ending Abuse is Everyone’s Business
The Global, United Nations Orange the World Campaign is 16 days of activism to end gender based violence from 25 Nov, the International Day to end Violence Against Women to 10 Dec, Human Rights Day www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/unite
#OrangetheWorldHerts 2023 – this image is a montage of photos from the 2023 campaign and you can scroll down for the slide show of all the images.
This year we have had great media coverage from the St Albans Times see p78 of the Nov 23 issue: https://issuu.com/stalbanstimes/docs/st_albans_times_issue_43 and pages 3 plus 44-46 of the Nov 30 issue: https://issuu.com/stalbanstimes/docs/st_albans_times_issue_44_1_
Welwyn and Hatfield Times: https://www.whtimes.co.uk/news/23969311.orange-world-herts-raise-awareness-gender-based-violence/
Hertfordshire Mercury – “The orange glow of optimism”
My Local News – St Albans – www.mynewsmag.co.uk/we-pledge-chief-constable-shares-plan-to-end-violence-against-women-in-st-albans/
Herts Advertiser www.hertsad.co.uk/news/23985752.st-albans-soroptimists-sing-station-womens-refuge
St Albans Council issued this news item: https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/news/we-support-white-ribbon-day-and-orange-world-campaigns-end-male-violence-against-women
The Hertfordshire Domestic Abuse and Violence Against Women and Girls Partnership Conference was held on 13 Dec in Stevenage – this event wrapped up up the 16 Days of Activism. Soroptimists Jane Slatter from SI St Albans and Kate Belinis from SI Hertford were able to attend. There as coverage of the event in the Herts Advertiser https://www.hertsad.co.uk/news/24014977.stevenage-hosts-herts-conference-ending-gender-based-violence/
Mon 20 Nov – was the Harpenden Launch Event at the Council Chamber – hosted by Cllr Fiona Gaskell, Mayor of Harpenden.
Thu 23 Nov – was the University of Hertfordshire interactive presentation for students with Soroptimist Ameeta Sabharwal and Divya Maheshwaram, Women Students’ Officer at Herts Student Union. Divya created the powerful artwork.
Sat 25 Nov – Great Northern Pub St Albans – was the “Pub Launch”
Sat 25 Nov – St Albans District Council White Ribbon Campaign Stall on St Albans Market
Mon 27 Nov – St Albans Museum and Gallery – the official St Albans Orange launch! in the Courtroom with the High Sheriff of Hertfordshire, Liz Green, The Mayor and Mayoress of St Albans Cllr Anthony Rowlands and Mrs Annie Stevenson, the Lord Bishop of St Albans Alan Smith, Herts Chief Constable Charlie Hall and the High Sherriff-Elect Annie Brewster. There were attendees from the St Albans council and many local organisations involved with supporting victims of domestic abuse, including Herts Domestic Abuse Helpline. There were also students from the University of Hertfordshire from the event on 23 Nov (see above). Matt Adams from the St Albans Times was also a welcome guest. Soroptimist Ameeta Sabharwal, introduced the event. We heard powerful speeches from the High Sherriff, the Mayor, the Bishop of St Albans and Herts Chef Constable – all of them showing how important the campaign is in raising the profile of this scourge on our society – and enforcing the message that Ending Abuse is Everyone’s Business.
Thu 30 Nov – Hertfordshire County Hall lit up orange. See the photo below. The event was organised by SI Hertford and District. Cllr Terry Douris, Chair of Herts County Council welcomed everyone to the Orange the World Event with tea in the ballroom. There were speeches by Hertford Soroptimist Kate Belinis and St Albans Soroptimist Denise Powell. Members of the Herts White Ribbon Steering Group were also active participants in the event because the goals are the same as for Orange The World – ending violence against women. There were Mayors in attendance from across Hertfordshire plus High Sheriff-Elect Annie Brewster. There were attendees from Herts CC focusing on Domestic Abuse and Violence Against Women and Girls. Charities Safer Places and Mind were also represented. The photo shows attendees of the event on the steps outside County Hall with their hand outstretched to say “stop the violence”.
This year Harpenden Town Council and Herts University were an addition to the campaign. It was great to see Hatfield Police Station, Dacorum Council Offices and Welwyn Hatfield Council Offices turn orange. St Albans Museum and Gallery (who launched the campaign with us in 2020) and Herts County Council again turned orange. The campaign was supported by domestic abuse charities and service, secondary schools, local businesses and pubs, shops and offices, councillors and individuals.
This year we worked much more closely with the #WhiteRibbon Campaign in St Albans and Hertfordshire. The Herts Domestic Abuse Partnership https://www.hertssunflower.org/ supported the #16DaysofActivism for the #OrangetheWorld campaign and the #WhiteRibbon Campaign to End Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) with the strapline #ChangeTheStoryinHerts . The goal of both campaigns is the same.
Please click here to read about the Orange the World campaign we have been running in the area since 2020 and see how it has gone from strength to strength https://sigbi.org/st-albans-and-district/orange-the-world Visit the page in 2024 to see next year’s plans as they evolve.
We made an information pack for everyone who wanted to join in: Orange the world 2023 Info pack final We also produced these two posters, to explain why the campaign. One has an orange background and one has a white background to provide different print options: Orange-the-World-Flyer-Poster-Updated
If you need further information please contact sistalbans@hotmail.com
During the campaign we supported two local organisations in our district working to support victims of gender-based violence and domestic abuse:
Herts Domestic Abuse Helpline and St Albans and Hertsmere Women’s Refuge
Follow the campaign with the hashtag #OrangeTheWorldHerts
Please share any actions on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @sistalbans and/or email to sistalbans@hotmail.com
