80 girls from nine schools across Merseyside have been taking part in an event designed to educate them on Violence Against Women and Girls.
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00:0080 girls from nine schools across Merseyside have been taking part in an event designed
00:05to educate them on violence against women and girls. This is part of a month-long focus
00:10where presentations are delivered to students as part of PSHE lessons in secondary schools
00:15across the region.
00:16So we have a month of action that runs, which is for boys and girls as well. Today was just
00:21about getting the girls here, giving them the confidence, being able to speak to different
00:25agencies. A lot of powerful females are here, giving them chances on their own to get what
00:29they probably wouldn't get.
00:31Hosted by Merseyside Police in partnership with the LFC Foundation's Onside programme,
00:36which is funded by Project Medusa. Medusa is the Merseyside-led initiative to tackle
00:41county lines, drug dealing and child criminal exploitation across the country.
00:46We always refer to the power of the LFC badge. It brings people together and breaks down
00:50barriers. So to have Merseyside Police's badge alongside the LFC Foundation's badge is really
00:55powerful and it can open up a lot of discussions with young people and break down barriers
00:59down.
01:00The event's been developed by Merseyside Police's Safer Schools Coordinator, Faye Smith, with
01:04the aim of talking about the work undertaken to tackle violence against women and girls
01:08and keep them safe in order to improve their confidence.
01:13Boys are educated in that as well. So we're talking to them about, like, gender stereotypes
01:17is huge. So a lot of girls will say, well, I can never be a doctor, I can only be a nurse.
01:22Boys will say in a lot of sessions we've done, well, the women do the cooking. That's something
01:27that's huge for us. Misogynistic language. We've had a lot of interest about Andrew Tate.
01:33That was huge for us in school. So it's making sure that we sort of break that mould of what
01:38normal looks like and change that narrative a little bit.
01:42The girls learn about misogynistic behaviours and the sessions provide opportunities for
01:46vital conversations to empower and equip young people with the knowledge and understanding
01:51around violence against women and girls.
01:54I know from growing up in this generation that my world revolves around my phone. And
01:58obviously being a social media influencer, having a platform, having a voice and being
02:01able to speak and inspire young girls is massively important. And obviously, I think the way
02:07in which the world is now so much more is being done about protecting young women and
02:10girls, but I still think there's room for more.
02:12In that room there, in the sports hall, there's different career pathways. So you've got people
02:17from Asia Police, you've got fitness instructors, you've got skincare females, and then you've
02:23got obviously an influencer or a TikToker. So it's showcasing to these young participants
02:28and these females what is out there and what they can potentially go on and achieve.
02:32I want these young women and girls to know that they don't have to live in fear of doing
02:36things like this. If they want to be an influencer, they can be an influencer, but they can also
02:40know how to protect themselves.
02:43The day sees the girls taking part in sessions including self-defence.
02:48It's about using your voice, just going to educate them around standing back, making
02:53sure that you're not involved in those situations where you can, but knowing how to get out
02:57of them if you're in it.