The week has seen an outpouring of grief and anger over the disappearance of Sarah Everard, who vanished earlier this month as she walked home in Clapham, south London.  The subsequent events and various reactions from officials have sparked an outrage. They have triggered feelings from women about the abuse and violence they face, igniting a national conversation on women’s safety, with countless women speaking out about the all-too-common reality of walking alone in fear.

Violence against women is widespread in our society, and further enabled by systemic racism. Blessing Olusegun, a business student from Southeast London, shared a tragically similar end to Sarah Everard in September of last year but the treatment and publicity of her case varied greatly, and is only coming to light now.

As a women’s charity serving the London community since 1985, we stand in solidarity with all the women who have, and continue, to participate in the outpouring of their personal experiences of abuse and living with the continual threat of harassment and violence. We join our voice with yours and share your demands for equality, safety and justice.