Council youth group nominated for national award
Her Voice Wales works with the Council’s Youth Service and is made up of girls aged 13 to 17 from across the County.
They wanted to raise awareness of catcalling and sexual harassment among young people so started the #wedon’tfeelsafecampaign.
That involved conducting a survey into the problem, before a report was written and its contents presented to a variety of audiences.
Her Voice Wales has addressed Council Leader Lis Burnett, a gathering at the Senedd and other high-profile people.
They are also set to feature in a three-part television documentary on S4C.
Now the group has been shortlisted for a national prize as the Youth Work Excellence Awards honour exceptional youth work contributions across the Country.
They are competing in the category of Demonstrating Excellence in Partnership Planning and Delivery at a Local Level, with the winners set to be crowned at a ceremony in Llandudno this February.
Cllr Ruba Sivagnanam, Vale of Glamorgan Council Cabinet Member for Community Engagement, Equalities and Regulatory Services, said: “The work Her Voice Wales has done is incredibly impressive. Not only have its members researched and reported on a serious issue affecting young people, they have also brought it to the attention of key decision makers.
“That means this initiative can have a genuine impact, improving street safety for young people in the Vale and beyond.
“We want everyone in our communities to feel safe, and, though evidence suggests most do, there is always room for improvement.
“Sexual harassment among young people is completely unacceptable, but, sadly, it is a real problem that needs to be addressed.
“These young women have been brave enough to confront this issue head on, coming up with a number of practical suggestions to bring about change.”
As well as sharing their findings, Her Voice Wales worked with a local designer to create posters. The artwork encouraged young people to report incidents of harassment and explained how to do that.
The group has asked people to make a pledge to publicise this issue and come up with suggestions to improve the situation, including the creation of Safe Spaces.
This initiative involves asking businesses across the Vale to display a sticker in their window that indicates this is a safe place to enter.
When a young person is feeling vulnerable, they can use this space as refuge.