Reclaim the Night: Standing Together Against Gender-Based Violence
TW: Mentions of gender-based violence and sexual and physical harassment.
Hi everyone, I’m Lucy your Women's Officer and it’s my job to make UoB women feel safer and stronger together. As part of my role, I like to engage with the community through hosting socials and empowering events - one of which is Reclaim the Night.
Reclaim the Night is one of the most powerful and longstanding feminist protest movements. Every year, the University of Birmingham’s Guild of Students takes part to continue this vital work. On November 25 at 6pm, we will march from the Faraday Statue to Mermaid Square at the Guild. Our annual march brings students together to raise our voices, support survivors and stand up to violence against women and girls (VAWG) in all its forms. But where did this movement begin and why does it still matter today?
Where Reclaim the Night Started
Reclaim the Night first began in the UK in the late 1970s, inspired by international feminist demonstrations protesting sexual violence and gendered oppression. The Guardian (2006) reports that the first Reclaim the Night protests took place in Leeds on 12 November 1977. The marches were in part a response to the "Yorkshire Ripper" murders (BBC, 2021), and the police response (The i Paper, 2021) which instructed women to stay out of public spaces after dark.
At the time, curfews and safety warnings placed responsibility on women rather than addressing perpetrators or systemic violence. Reclaim the Night emerged in direct defiance of this logic. Women marched to reclaim public spaces (loudly, visibly and collectively) insisting on the right to move freely without fear. Dr Finn Mackay (2014) reported a dozen marches took place that same November night in other cities, encouraged by the efforts of women in Leeds. These cities included: York, Bristol, Brighton, Newcastle, Bradford, Manchester, Lancaster and London.
NIA (2025) have shared that since then, marches have continued across the UK, led by grassroots organisations, women’s rights groups, students’ unions and community networks. While the world has changed since the 1970s, the core message remains the same: gender-based violence is never acceptable, and it is never the victim’s fault.
Reclaim the Night at UoB: Solidarity, Support and Strength:
At the University of Birmingham, our Reclaim the Night march brings students from across campus together to protest, raise awareness and make change. We march with banners, posters, chants and a shared commitment to building a safer community.
The event also includes speakers who work in or have lived experience within the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) space. These talks are a powerful opportunity to learn, reflect and recognise the challenges survivors face - both on campus and beyond.
Reclaim the Night is much more than a protest. It is:
- A space of solidarity, where survivors are believed and supported
- A reminder that the responsibility for ending violence lies with society, not with victims
- A call to action for all of us to play a role in making campus safer.
By coming together and sharing our voices, we uplift each other, raise awareness and help shift the culture surrounding gender-based violence
Why It Still Matters:
Even today, women and gender minorities continue to face harassment, violence and threats in public and private spaces. Recent national conversations, as reported by BBC (2025), such as those following the deaths of Sarah Everard (Solace, 2024) and Sabina Nessa (Aljazeera, 2022), have shown that this issue is ongoing and urgent.
Reclaim the Night is a reminder that change is possible - but only if we come together to demand it. On our campus, it’s also a chance to show students that support exists, survivors matter and no one is facing this alone.
Looking Ahead - Join Us:
Whether you’ve attended before or this is your first time, we invite you to march with us in solidarity, hope and resilience. Bring your friends, your voice and your energy - every person makes our message louder.
Together, we can reclaim safety. We can reclaim joy. We can reclaim the night.