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| Rachael on Granada |
Councillor Rachael O'Byrne is spearheading a campaign in Liverpool to draw attention to a sexist students' event. She has won the support of the 34 Labour women Councillors in Liverpool and has now released this statement below. Good on you Rachael!
Liverpool’s Labour Women
Councillors are calling for businesses to boycott a bar crawl called “Pimps and
Hoes” this weekend (Sunday 14 October).
On 14th October 2012,
Carnage UK will be hosting a 'Pimps and Hoes' night in Liverpool. We, the Labour
women of Liverpool City Council, are calling on all local businesses to distance
themselves from this event.
We are proud that
Liverpool has been awarded Purple Flag status - an award which recognises a
safe, clean and well-managed city centre. Indeed, we have one of the safest city
centres in the country. Events such as Carnage UK, that go against these
principles, are not welcome in our city.
Carnage UK is a student
'bar crawl' event that is actively not prompted in all three of our University
Students’ Unions, and the National Union of Students (NUS) has called for it to
be banned. It has been heavily criticised for causing anti-social behaviour and
putting participants' welfare at risk through unsafe
drinking.
When questioned about
the events encouraging binge drinking, Paul Bahia, the founder of Varsity
Leisure Group which owns Carnage UK, has stated: “Our events are heavily focused
on group identity, social and ethical cohesion and fancy dress
themes.”
Councillor Rachael
O’Byrne said on the “In this instance 'Pimps and Hoes' seems neither ethically
nor socially cohesive. The theme is blatant in its sexism and perpetuates the
objectification and exploitation of women.”
The NUS commissioned a
piece of research of female students experience of violence, it found that 1 in
7 students have been a victim of sexual assault or violence. We are disgusted
that Carnage UK will be hosting a night in Liverpool that trivialises the issues
of violence against women.
Themes such as ‘Pimps
and Hoes’ sexualise women’s inequality and creates a climate where rape culture
is trivialised and indeed actively contributes to upholding it. As a city we
have a responsibility to tackle, not celebrate, a culture which enables sexual
violence against women.
This event also
glorifies the severe consequences of some of those involved in prostitution and
sex trafficking. Human trafficking is the fastest growing form of international
crime and is now the second largest illegal trade in the world with the UK a
significant destination country for women, children and men to be trafficked
into the sex trade. Individuals trafficked for sexual exploitation suffer
extreme violations of their human rights and the relationship
between a
prostitute and their pimp is often abusive and
possessive.
This is not something we
believe that the night time economy should celebrate in our city. We are united
against Carnage UK and hope you will be too.
News coverage so far:
Granada Reports http://www.itv.com/news/granada/2012-10-12/anger-at-carnage-pub-crawl-planned-for-liverpool/
BBC
Radio Merseyside (48 Minutes in): http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00z09lz/Simon_Hoban_10_10_2012/
BBC
News Website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-19896205
In
news reports on Juice FM, Radio City 96.7 and City Talk FM
Report
on North West Real Radio- To be played Saturday
Sadly nothing in the Echo yet
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