The Women’s Equality Party (WEP) and the charity Our Bodies Our Streets have teamed together to raise awareness for gender-based violence and pay tribute to the women that have been killed by men, by organising monthly vigils.
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They take place at Devonshire Green, Sheffield City Centre at 6 pm on the first Sunday of every month.
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Jasmine Heaton, 24, a member of WEP said they hold these events as “we want there to be widespread discussion and awareness about the issues cis and trans women face on a daily basis, and not just when the media highlights certain cases.”
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“ At each vigil, we have a wide range of speakers such as local councillors, charity and organisation representatives, and everyday people who all have unique and valuable perspectives to share. We also read out the list of women who have been murdered at the hands of men in the month since we last met, which is an extremely powerful and sobering thing to hear.”
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Photo provided by WEP Sheffield , Charlotte Mead.
These events began after the murder of Sabina Nessa last September, however, WEP and Our Bodies Our Streets decided to make this event a monthly occurrence.
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Charlotte Mead, Branch Leader of WEP said “ In the UK, two women a week are killed by men. I once spoke on the radio about the Sarah Everard murder, and people were telling us to leave it alone. But we have to talk about these things because if we don’t, we are not going to be able to find the solutions. This is why charities such as Women’s Aid and Our Bodies Our Street are so important.”
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The UN Women UK reported that 97% of women (age 18- 24) have been sexually harassed. The Sheffield based charity Our Body Out Streets campaigns against sexual harassment on the streets.
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Heaton said, “They are probably best known for their interactive map, where women input onto a map of Sheffield what has been shouted/done to them and where.”
If you have been affected by gender-based violence and would like to receive support, please visit https://www.womensaid.org.uk/information-support/ where you can talk to professionals directly.
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By Rosie May Knapp
​Dangerous fake disposable vapes are being sold in the UK and here’s how to spot them.
Illegal toxic disposable vapes are being counterfeited across the UK and now have arrived here in Sheffield.
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Lucy White, 25, an e-cigarette user was left shocked when she purchased a vape from a shop in the Sheffield city centre, to find that it was a fake.
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White said ” I usually buy my disposables from vape stores, however, I decided to go to an off-licence instead. I noticed that the vape was lighter than usual and tasted full of chemicals – similar to nail varnish.
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“Fake vapes are usually sold cheaper, as this one was sold to me at the full price (£12), I had no indication this could be a fake. It’s a real issue that shop owners are getting away with it by selling these onto the public with no regard to customers' health and safety”.
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Regulations were brought in by the government in 2016 to help stop any counterfeit e-cigarette products from coming into the country. However, sometimes illegal vaping goods are imported by third party companies.
Photo by Romain Blu for Unsplashed .com
Scott Beatson, 22, a staff member from Vape Suite, Pinstone Street, Sheffield, recommends vape shops and off-licences to “go directly to manufacturers so you know there is no fake stuff inside, with fakes you don’t know what is inside because they have been counterfeited and anything could be in there”.
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Beatson said, “We’re 110% that our products are genuine – our main advice is to look at the logo and the box. On each box, there is a unique QR code, it will tell you if the code is valid or not on the website”.
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Disposable vapes became popular in the UK towards the back end of 2021 – especially among students. Statistics by ASH showed that in 2021, around 7.1% of the population use e-cigarettes regularly and are on the rise each year.
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By Rosie May Knapp.
Televised coverage on women’s football is on the rise, should their salary be too?
Audiences for women’s football have increased since the pandemic but players are still paid the same, due to the stigma about female players’ skillset.
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Surveys provided by YouGov in 2020 found that “7 in 10 support equal coverage – but not at the same cost as men”. Many believe that this is because women’s football is not the same skill level as men’s.
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Alan Bassett (72), a former Chairman of the Sileby Juniors mixed team, Loughborough said: “The skill levels between men and women are the same and should receive the same paycheck, but women need more promotion in order to be able to fill their stadiums.”
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On average Women’s Super League players earn a £30,000 salary a year, whereas men’s Premier League is roughly £60,000 a week – as more money is produced through male footballers.
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In September 2020, The Football Association announced that their salary for men and women is the same, but only if the footballer is a part of the official men or women’s England Team.
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Photo by Peepo for Unsplashed.com
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In 2021, it was reported that TV audiences worldwide for Women’s football had increased to 51.1M from a previous 46.8M in 2019.
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This July, England is set to host the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 and the final will be held at Wembley stadium.
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The 16 nations taking part will be televised by multiple organisations globally, and the BBC is set to cover the games for the UK.
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By Rosie May Knapp
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South Yorkshire Police urge people to be vigilant against romance scams
South Yorkshire police have warned people to be extra vigilant against ‘tinder swindlers’, following the release of statistics from Action Fraud.
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A total of 147 victims have reported incidents of romance fraud in the South Yorkshire area throughout November 2020 and October 2021. Victims are said to have lost around £1.6 million from romance fraud.
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Fraud Protection Officer, Andy Foster said: “It's horrendous that people are being targeted by these criminals right here in South Yorkshire. These fraudsters are the lowest of the low.”
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The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau found that people are more likely to fall victim of romance fraud between Christmas and Valentine’s Day, with rises of 901 reports recorded across the country.
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Photo from South Yorkshire Police February 2022.
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The release of the Netflix documentary The Tinder Swindler this month has spiked concern over the world regarding romance fraud.
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The documentary follows the life of multiple women that were defrauded by now famous conman Simon Leviev and estimates a loss of $10 million between these women across Europe.
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Felicity Lockwood (19) a journalism student at Sheffield Hallam University uses Tinder regularly and urges people to “Check out their socials, facetime them, meet in a public place and never send money to someone that you don’t know.”
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Photo By Fiippo Bacci for Unsplashed.com
South Yorkshires’ police statement advises people to never give away personal information and by never sending money to someone you have met online.
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Officer Foster said “And if you do sadly fall victim, please don’t be embarrassed. Make sure you speak to us and report it to Action Fraud – we’re here to help.”
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If you believe that you or another have been a victim to romance fraud, you can report it too Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or online at www.actionfraud.police.uk.
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Or to find out more about how to spot the signs and how to protect yourself on the Action Fraud website: https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/a-z-of-fraud/dating-fraud
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By Rosie May Knapp
