By Jess McCabe | 18 February 2010, 11:32

Bristol is to host another Reclaim the Night march on:

26 February 2010, 5pm, College Green

The march will start at 5pm at College Green with a vigil of remembrance, then at 6pm the march through Bristol will start. It will have a women-only section leading the march - inclusive of trans women. A rally will follow at Island in Broadmead, from 8.30pm, followed by a club night.

Bristol Feminist Network, organisers of the RTN, explain:

After the phenomenal success of last year’s Reclaim the Night, which brought together over 500 marchers and raised £350 for One25, Bristol Feminist Network are urging the women and men of Bristol to gather once more and protest against the continued horror of violence against women.

The press release continues:

Today women are still told to stay indoors, to never walk in the dark, to never walk alone, to not drink, to not wear skimpy clothes, to never put yourself in danger. Although men are statistically more likely to be attacked by a stranger on the street, we do not tell men to fear the outside world in the same way. With Reclaim the Night, Bristol Feminist Network are saying loudly and proudly that women deserve and have the right to freedom of movement, that we should not live in the shadow of violence and that we have the right to walk freely through the city streets. Bristol is now lucky enough to have a Rape Crisis Centre and Sexual Abuse Referral Centre. However, funding is limited and the wonderful services these centres provide will could be under threat in a few years time. Without centres services like these, it is harder for victims of violence to come forward, prosecute their rapists and win justice.

The aims of the march are:

• Support for victims and survivors of sexual violence, including contineduing to support for Rape Crisis and other charities such as One25 who give such excellent and needed care to victims and survivors.
• Encouraging better education around violence against women, including education around respect in relationships and busting rape myths that still, terrifyingly, prevail.
• Secure justice for victims and survivors of sexual violence, by trying to improve the horrifically low conviction rate.