Hartlepool woman organises Women’s March calling for streets to be made safer

Ele Doherty is hoping the march will help raise awareness.

A Women’s March will go through the streets of Hartlepool in January in an attempt to raise awareness and increase safety for women and girls on the streets.

The event has been organised by 18-year-old Ele Doherty, who says young girls don’t feel safe on the streets and something needs to change.

It comes as the deaths of Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa ignited concerns about the safety of women earlier this year.

Ele says she was sprung into action after reading about Bobbi-Anne McLeod, 18, whose body was discovered on Tuesday (November 23) after she disappeared in Plymouth three days earlier on her way to meet with friends.

Twenty-four-year-old Cody Ackalnd has been charged with Miss McLeod’s murder.

Ele, from the Dyke House area of the town, said: “To be fair, it affected me a lot.

"I realised as well, me and my friends have been doing a lot of research on it and it’s happening way too often – young girls going out on the street and they don’t feel safe.

The march will take place in January 2022.

"I am a woman walking late at night and I don’t feel safe, and we have to be aware in the daytime.

"I just feel like the march will be something positive and will hopefully have some sort of impact.

"I just feel like it will be a beautiful thing to do for all these women, who never made it home.”

Hartlepool woman joins volunteers patrolling Newcastle streets to protect young ...

Ele added: “I feel like if we can get women to start marching in different places in the UK, that would be amazing as well.”

The march is inclusive and Ele has said men are also welcome to take part.

She said: "Everybody knows a woman and is related to a woman.

"If they really want their nieces, their daughters, their granddaughters, any women that they know, to feel safe walking on the street, they should absolutely join the march.”

Join the Change and Positivity group on Facebook for updates about the event.

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