Stroud activists launch new campaign against sexual violence

This Ends Now - which was formed by Nikki Owen and Sydney-Anne McAllister in Stroud in the wake of various attacks against women in the town - has launched its All Men campaign. 

The campaign - which will run locally and nationally - asks men to think about their role in preventing sexual violence.

Sydney and Nikki will interview men across the UK and Westminster, including political figures, to compile several campaign videos urging the government to prioritise tackling misogyny and treating incel violence as a terror threat.

To increase campaign awareness, This Ends Now say they will collaborate with a major nationally known organisation which will be announced later in the year.

Through this collaboration, the group will create videos, social media posts and billboards of men discussing male violence and their role in society.

The group hopes this collaboration will influence men and boys to safely express their feelings about patriarchy, misogyny and sexual violence.

“We are striving for wholesale reform of societal attitudes and opinions regarding the status of women and girls and for preventing the crimes perpetrated by men against them to be prioritised as a matter of urgency," said Nikki Owen.

“So many incredible people have campaigned, marched, and produced vital reports, all calling for and pinpointing how change can be made.

"Yet, any attempts at change are often accused of taking an 'us versus them' approach ie, women versus men.

“That’s why the next wave of feminism must include men.

"Our #allmen campaign invites men into the conversation and asks for their views on patriarchy.

"Talking like this creates a pocket of space where real change can finally be made.”

Co-founder Sydney Sydney-Anne McAllister says that they want inceol violence to be classed as a terror threat. 

“We also want the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) sector to explicitly acknowledge that it is male violence against women and girls and call it such," said Sydney-Anne McAllister. 

"We aim to create a conversation between men and boys about patriarchy and its impact on everyone in society to diminish its power and influence.

“The issue of male violence against women and girls is rooted in the patriarchy, which fuels harmful stereotypes and narratives such as ‘men cannot talk about their feelings’.

“Our campaign is innovative as it aims to raise awareness around the issue of male violence against women and girls and the issue of poor mental health amongst men and boys.”