Preston actor to march alone in bid to end violence against women

Lancashire actor and campaigner Claire Moore will take to the streets for the sixth year of her 'Dead Women Walking' march this Sunday, in a bid to represent women who were murdered by their partners and family members.
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The march aims to raise awareness of the women behind the statistics of domestic violence murders and is a female-only event that takes place in November each year.

Organiser Claire hosts the walk on the Sunday nearest to the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women but was told it could not take place this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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She has now chosen to walk alone on Sunday, November 29, from the Harris museum and continue to raise money for families who have lost loved ones following domestic violence.

She said: “The issue of domestic violence will not go away during a Covid lockdown. Women will be abused and they will be killed.

“Time and time again we see that the woman killed have been failed – that the warning signs were missed, they were not believed, in essence, that their murders could have been prevented. I hear the same statement 'lessons will be learned’ and my heart sinks.

"We women are more likely to be raped, beaten and murdered by men we know than by a stranger. We walk to represent each woman killed, who should be with us and their families today.

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“So I will walk alone and raise money for AAFDA a wonderful charity supporting the families who have lost a loved one following domestic violence.”

Claire Moore will walk alone this year because of Covid-19 but says domestic violence 'doesn't stop because of the lockdown'Claire Moore will walk alone this year because of Covid-19 but says domestic violence 'doesn't stop because of the lockdown'
Claire Moore will walk alone this year because of Covid-19 but says domestic violence 'doesn't stop because of the lockdown'

Claire was first inspired in 2007 when she started listing women killed by known men for a display as part of her domestic violence theatre work with Certain Curtain Theatre Company.

She believes that the names of the female victims 'rarely' made headlines, with stories focusing on the lenient sentencing of perpetrators of male violence against women.

From there, she organised her first march in London in 2014, delivering a list of women killed to Downing Street and calling on the Government to act in support of women's services and make domestic violence education mandatory.

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She said: "It was incredibly emotive. Over one hundred women, many survivors, all in red, marched through central London and I read out the names of the women killed that year.

This year will mark the sixth year of Claire's 'Dead Women Walking' demonstrationThis year will mark the sixth year of Claire's 'Dead Women Walking' demonstration
This year will mark the sixth year of Claire's 'Dead Women Walking' demonstration

“Whenever we are killed, our names are rarely used in the media. So, I think it’s important to say each woman’s name, her age and who killed her during the march. The women marchers asked to do it again so it has now become a yearly event.

Claire donates money raised to Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse (AAFDA), which was founded by Frank Mullane in memory of his sister Julia Pemberton and her son Will who were both killed by her partner.

Donations can be made here.

For more information, visit the 'Dead women walking' website here.

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