Marchers want to ‘stop the violence’

Chantelle was shocked when Jimmy kicked a cat on their way home and then slammed her against a nearby car when she protested.

But despite the early signs of an abusive relationship and the warning from her mother, Chantelle married Jimmy, and the abuse intensified until she had to run away with her son to a shelter.

This is one episode recounted in a publication that was yesterday distributed to some 500 girls who marched along Republic Street carrying banners calling for an end to violent relationships. The crowd walked to St George’s Square where the girls broke out in a dance.

The event was organised by the Malta Girl Guides (MGG), the National Council of Women (NCW) and Aġenzija Żgħażagħ and supported by representatives of the General Workers’ Union, Soroptimist International of Malta, Soar, Europe Breast Donna and Kate Gonzi.

It forms part of a pilot project that the MGG launched last year together with 24 other countries, called Stop the Violence, which raises awareness about respect, and the notion that everyone – girls and boys, men and women – have the right to live free from violence.

“We believe that we can breed a culture of reciprocal respect between couples through education about the different types of violence and awareness on how to become less vulnerable and stop violence,” MarJoe Abela, from MGG told those present in St George’s Square.

MGG roped in the NCW because of their work against violence on women, and Aġenzija Żgħażagħ in order to reach more young people.

In March, MGG presented the local education programme at the 57th session of the United Nation’s Commission on the Status of Women held in New York.

The curriculum is designed to engage children and young people to reflect on gender-based violence, and will now be rolled out among some five million young people by 2020.

The campaign, No to Violent Relationships, which was taken to a national level yesterday in Valletta, is part of this larger project Stop the Violence, focusing on teenage dating violence, online violence, harassment at schools and domestic abuse. The goal of the participants is to raise awareness about identifying the signs of violence early in developing relationships.

A booklet which includes information about existing specialist services, support agencies and safe spaces where they can seek help was distributed to those present.