SDLP East Belfast representative Charlotte Carson is hosting a public listening event in the area after reports of women and girls being harassed.

Ms Carson is also the founder of the Feminism in Schools Network which invites girls and women to come and share their thoughts, concerns and ideas with each other.

The event will take place at The Mount on Saturday, December 4 from 2pm to 4pm. Please register here in advance so we can ensure social distancing: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/public-listening-for-women-girls-in-east-belfast-tickets-211334676707?aff=ebdssbeac&keep_tld=1

She said:

“When I learned about several recent reports of women and girls in East Belfast being subjected to street harassment I felt compelled to speak out and do something. This type of behaviour is completely unacceptable and its shameful that it is still taking place in 2021. What some would crudely dismiss as ‘banter’ can have a real impact on someone’s self-esteem and whether or not they feel safe in their community.

“One of the aims of the Feminism in Schools Network is to empower young women and give them the chance to call out unacceptable behaviour and that’s why I’ve decided to hold this listening event. People need to hear the experiences of young women and how incidents like this have made them feel and this gathering will create a space to talk about how we can tackle this issue and allow women to feel safe and secure in our communities.

“This is a timely issue that demands recognition. In the wake of the Sarah Everard case and other horrendous incidents across these islands women’s safety and society’s attitudes towards them is firmly back on the agenda. Alongside great local community initiatives like Reclaim the Night Belfast and Women’s Aid I want to highlight the issues still experienced by women in our community and challenge the outdated attitudes and behaviours that are sadly still all too common.”