A student group is leading a call to have Belfast City Hall lit up in pink as part of a walk to highlight the dangers facing women and girls.
The Walkie Talkie Girlies Society, created to help young women feel safer when walking around Belfast, is behind the campaign which will see the group lead a walk from Queen’s University to City Hall on November 6.
It was set up after one of its co-founders, Aisling Cannon (20), from Co Donegal, felt unsafe walking back from the city centre one evening.
Co-Founders of Walkie Talkie Girlies Society, Aisling Cannon (20) and Georgia Salmons (22)
While waiting for a bus, and after being approached by an unknown male, Aisling was left feeling vulnerable.
She said: “All the buses were full or getting cancelled, taxis were expensive, but I just didn’t feel comfortable walking back from the city centre all the way to Elms on my own.”
Aisling eventually approached another group of students and asked if she could walk back with them.
“They really did make the situation so much better for me,” she added.
“And that was the defining moment where I thought this is what students need. This is what women need to feel safe, a group of people that they can walk with.”
Members of Walkie Talkie Girlies society take part in their regular organised walk through Belfast (Picture by Peter Morrison)
Aisling co-founded the group with fellow student Georgia Salmons (22).
And in the last year, it has grown from a community of young women who walked together for safety, to fundraising for women’s causes and empowering women in their group to take control of their personal safety.
“The PSNI organised an amazing workshop for us last year on self-defence. We heard from officers in the PSNI about how to stay safe when we’re outside on our own,” Aisling said.
“We also had a practical self-defence session. It’s sad that these are things we have to think about and do, but at the same time it’s so important that we learn these things.”
Now the group is spearheading Project Pink, which Aisling says will see society members, charity representatives and activists walk, while wearing pink, from Queen’s into the city centre.
Their ambition is that both the university and City Hall would be lit up pink in the process, with a council decision expected on Friday.
Aisling Cannon co-founder of Walkie Talkie Girlies Society (Picture by Peter Morrison)
Recent headlines have motivated the group to push for the walk to go ahead, despite being turned down by the council once before.
Earlier this month, police launched a murder investigation after the body of Mary Ward was found in south Belfast, making her the fourth woman to be murdered in six weeks in Northern Ireland. The body of the 22-year-old was discovered by officers at her Melrose Street house on October 1.
“When it comes to the recent, very frightening wave of violence against women, we are concerned,” said Aisling.
Members of Walkie Talkie Girlies society take part in their regular organised walk through Belfast (Picture by Peter Morrison)
“We are concerned for our own safety, as well as for the women in our community, so we want to work with organisations like the PSNI and Belfast City Council — and we have worked with them before — to raise awareness.”
Regardless of the outcome of Friday’s council vote, Aisling plans to hold the walk on November 6.
She expects members of the society will be joined by representatives of organisations they have previously partnered with including Nexus, Safe Night NI and Menstruation Matters.