Tonight, the Duchess of Cornwall asked how many women would be ‘harassed or raped or killed’. She was referring to the brutal deaths of Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa in recent months in a major speech.
The wife of Prince Charles mentioned a ‘culture de silence’ and a feeling of shame that led many women to not speak out about their experiences of sexual abuse or violation.
Camilla also mentioned the deaths Geetika Goyal, Wenjing Lin and Bennylyn Burke. Camilla stated that it was vital for women to get the men in their lives involved in this movement’ because violence against females would otherwise be ‘just a one of those things’.
The 74 year-old was speaking at a London reception at the Welcome Trust to announce the Shameless! Festival, a collaboration between Women of the World (WOW) Foundation and Birbeck’s SHaME project. Among the listeners was Carrie Johnson, the wife of the Prime Minister.
Camilla said: ‘We do not, in any way, hold all men responsible for sexual violence. But we do need them all on board to tackle it.
‘After all, rapists are not born, they are constructed. And it takes an entire community – male and female – to dismantle the lies, words and actions that foster a culture in which sexual assault is seen as normal, and in which it shames the victim.’
Ms Everard was murdered by Metropolitan Police Officer Wayne Couzens in March after he used his handcuffs and warrant card to falsely arrest her as she walked home from a friend’s house in Clapham, south London.
Primary school teacher Ms Nessa was killed in September whilst just minutes from her home in Greenwich, south London; Ms Goyal was stabbed to death in Leicester; schoolgirl Ms Lyn was stabbed at her family’s takeaway restaurant in South Wales and Ms Burke was killed along with her daughter in Dundee.
The duchess made her speech hours after Couzens lodged an official appeal against the whole-life tariff handed to him in September for Ms Everard’s rape and murder.
The Duchess of Cornwall tonight asked how many women will be ‘harassed, raped or murdered’ as she highlighted in a major speech the brutal deaths of Sarah Everard, Sabina Nessa and others in recent months. The 74-year-old was speaking at a reception at the Welcome Trust in London to launch the Shameless! Festival, a collaboration between Women of the World Foundation (WOW) Foundation & Birbeck’s SHaME Project. Carrie Johnson (the wife of the Prime Minister) was among the listeners.
Camilla spoke at a London reception to launch Shameless! and highlighted the brutal murders committed against women by Ms Everard (left), and Ms Nessa. Festival, a collaboration of Women of the World Foundation (WOW) Foundation with Birbeck’s SHaME program
The Shameless! Next month, the Shameless festival will take place at London’s Battersea Arts Centre. This festival will bring together activism with art to address and change attitudes towards sexual assault.
Camilla has made domestic and sexual violence against women a central part of her public work from her early days as a Royal Family member.
She even created an initiative to provide victims of rape with wash bags containing essential toiletries for use after invasive forensic examinations.
Ms Johnson arrived at London’s Wellcome Trust ten minute before the duchess.
Camilla, elegant in a backdress with a WOW badge, made a beeline to the Prime Minister’s wife as she walked in. The duchess smiled and said, ‘Hello Carrie! It’s so nice to meet you.
She then looked at Mrs Johnson’s baby bump and gestured at her.
Mrs Johnson giggled, but her reply was not heard.
According to royal aides Carrie, who is due to have her second child later in the year, was personally invited by the duchess.
Camilla was joined by Jude Kelly, WOW’s CEO, and Julia Gillard, the former Australian Prime Minister.
She was a hit with the audience, Carrie Johnstone in stitches.
Mrs Johnston laughed so hard that she knocked a wine glass over, and Mrs Gillard jokedly apologized and said that Australia has a First Bloke.
Mrs Johnson smiled, “Thanks very much,”
In her speech, she mentioned a visit to WOW Festival, just before the lockdown. Jude Kelly, the festival’s founder, asked her audience if they could envision a world without violence against women.
Camilla recalled, “The reaction was mixed.”
Some hands flew up while others remained in their laps. Most of the time, we looked at one another, rather taken aback.
“Did we ever dream of a world free from rape and sexual abuse?” Or were our beliefs too ingrained to believe violence against women was normal, just ‘one more thing’, part of being female ?
Ms Johnson arrived at London’s Wellcome Trust ten minute before the duchess.
According to royal aides, Carrie, who is due later this year with her second child, was invited by the duchess to the reception.
Camilla, elegantly dressed in a backdress and sporting a WOW badge, walked in to the office. The duchess smiled and said, “Hello Carrie, very nice seeing you,”
She then looked at Mrs Johnson’s baby bump and gestured at her.
They also exchanged kisses before Camilla gave her powerful speech.
People gathered to pay their respects and lay flowers at the vigil for Ms Everard, Clapham Common, shortly after her March murder.
She spoke out about the recent deaths that shocked Britons and said: “This country has been appalled by the loss of women violence this year.
“On average, one woman is killed by a male every three days.” Sarah Everard, Sabina Nassa and Wenjing Lin are names that, along with all the others must not be forgotten.
“Each one of these women suffered unimaginable pain, and their loved ones continue suffering in the wake of death.
‘Sarah Everard’s mother gave her heartfelt victim impact statement to her killer on September 30, 2013.
“I know that you all are here today to pay tribute to all the precious lives that were brutally taken, and to renew our commitment to ending violence against women.
Ms Goyal (left), was stabbed to death at Leicester; Ms Lyn, a schoolgirl, was stabbed at her family’s take-out restaurant in South Wales. Ms Burke was also stabbed to death in Dundee.
Then she turned to the ‘immense” challenges facing the country over the issue. She highlighted that The Crime Survey for England, Wales, showed that 144 000 women were victims or attempted raped in the past year. This is roughly 16 of most serious sexual offences per hour.
The duchess also stated that the problem was not limited to sexual harassment.
She said that Wayne Couzens was arrested the same day as a survey that showed that 86% young women in Britain had been sexually harassed at public places.
“This included women who were followed and coerced into having sexual activity while they were in public spaces. Surprisingly, 96% of these young women did not report the incidents.
Ms. Burke was killed in Dundee along with her daughter.
‘It is, like almost all women know it, a deeply disturbing feeling to be sexually harassed. Yet, a culture has developed in which women hide their experiences of sexual harassment. Why?
There are many possible explanations. Today, however, we will be focusing on one important reason. Shame.
After a sexual abuse, shame is one the most powerful emotions.
“The victim feels invading and dirty; she feels helpless because someone stronger has placed her in that position – possibly someone she had previously trusted.
“Often, victims feel shame and take responsibility for their crime. They want to hide from others.
“And yet she has not done anything wrong.” Camilla expressed hope that a world without violence against women could be created, but on a more hopeful note.
She encouraged other women to help survivors to be shameless’ and to not take on’misplaced feeling of stigma’.
She stated, “By sharing our stories, we break down the wall of silence that allows perpetrators and criminals to go unpunished; and it increases the feeling isolation that so many survivors describe,”
She called women from all walks of the country to ask them to help their husbands, partners, fathers, and brothers.
She stated, “So let’s all leave here today and try to get men in our lives involved in building a shameless society.”
“Because we must harass, rape or murder more women before we can unite to create a peaceful world.”