AN annual march demanding safety for women and girls is taking place in Newquay.

The Women’s Centre Cornwall in Bodmin is inviting people to honour women whose lives have been taken by male violence at its 21st Reclaim the Night event, which will be held on Friday, December 5 from 6pm.

The event will get underway with a candlelit vigil to honour lives lost, represented by a photo frame and candle. A live music performance by Gabrielle Green and a dance performance by the Young Empowered Women's Group will follow, alongside spoken word poetry from women who have accessed support at the Women's Centre.

Attendees are invited to bring flowers and are encouraged to wear or bring something red in keeping with this year's theme. Torches, fairy lights or anything that will make them visible at night are also welcome.

A peaceful women's march will begin at approximately 7.30pm, which will be accompanied by local samba musicians.

This year’s event will focus on raising awareness of online and digital abuse as part of the #UprtootingMisogyny 16 Days of Activism campaign, which begins on November 25.

Violence against women and girls remains one of the most urgent human rights emergencies in the UK and globally, with one in three women subject to some form of sexual or domestic abuse in their lifetime. In Cornwall, approximately 14,740 women experience domestic abuse every year, with an estimated 2,500 women raped or sexually assaulted locally each year.

Jackie May, CEO of The Women's Centre Cornwall said: “For 21 years, we have invited the community to reclaim women’s rights to safety, dignity and freedom from violence and abuse. This year, as we see misogyny expanding further into digital spaces, our message is louder than ever. Our lives are increasingly lived online and technology is continually shaping how we connect. The online world has become another realm in which women and girls face male violence, and it is no less 'real' or harmful. Online abuse demands the same urgent response as other forms of abuse.

“We also gather to honour the women and children whose lives have been taken and to carry their memory forward. Reclaim The Night is a powerful reminder of the epidemic of violence against women and girls, and that change begins when we stand together in solidarity and build upon the work we do year-round to support women and girls at The Women’s Centre Cornwall.”

The Women’s Centre Cornwall provides free specialist support for women and girls aged 11 plus through a wide range of projects and services across Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Eastwood Park Prison. The charity is run by women and has offered empowering support to women and girls living with the impact of sexual and domestic abuse in Cornwall and beyond since 1996.

The Reclaim the Night event is wheelchair accessible and all are encouraged to join the vigil and performances, including men. The march is for women only.