Remembering Merseyside's lost Women and Girls

MERSEYSIDE Police and Crime Commissioner is once again partnering with women's services to host a candle lit vigil to remember local women and girls who have tragically lost their lives to male violence.

The remembrance vigil is being held on the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) and the public are invited to attend to honour the women and girls across Merseyside whose lives have been taken.

Representatives from specialist support services including:- Liverpool and South Liverpool's Domestic Abuse Services, Knowsley-based domestic abuse charity The 1st Step, sexual violence service RASA Merseyside, Amadudu which provides a refuge for Black and Minority Ethnic women and girls fleeing domestic abuse, as well as Savera UK which helps survivors and those at risk of:- "honour" based abuse and harmful practices will join PCC Emily Spurrell for the event.

The theme of the vigil will focus on Femicide, for which the Femicide Census record:- 'women and girls aged:- 14 and over who have been killed by men.' The Femicide Census was commissioned by specialist support services in Merseyside to conduct a report, Femicide in Merseyside: 15 years of failing women published in December 2024, outlining the critical scale of women being murdered by men across the Region and the institutional failings in keeping them safe. The report makes a series of recommendations for change, which are being enacted by the 1st established Femicide Oversight Group in the UK.

This annual vigil provides a space for survivors and families to reflect and remember and share in a pledge of change to make women and girls safer in Merseyside. The evening will feature speeches from local specialist support services, the Police and Crime Commissioner, Emily Spurrell and a candle lit vigil where the names of all the women and girls who have lost their lives to male violence will be read aloud during a moment of silence.

There will also be performances from Sing Me Merseyside and Batala Mersey, as well as poetry from Savera UK Youth Collective. Attendees will be invited to add their personal messages of remembrance to the:- 'Hope Tree.'

A host of partners who are committed to ending gender based violence, including:- many of the signatories to the PCC led Working in Partnership to Tackle Violence Against Women and Girls across Merseyside strategy will also attend to help raise awareness of the scale of VAWG in our communities and to reaffirm their commitments to ending violence against women and girls.

Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner, Emily Spurrell said:- "Each year we gather to remember the women and girls whose lives have been tragically taken from us by male violence. Every name we speak represents a life stolen, a family shattered, and a community grieving. Their absence is felt every single day. Holding vigils like this matters because they remind us why we fight for change. They give us space to honour those we have lost, to stand in solidarity with survivors, and to reaffirm our shared commitment to ending gender based violence. Violence is not inevitable. But it requires all of us; every agency, every community, every individual; to challenge attitudes, demand action, and work relentlessly for a future where women and girls are safe. I urge everyone to join us; to honour those we have lost, to support those who are still suffering, and to commit to building a future where no woman or girl has to fear for her life."

Chief Executive The 1st Step, Caroline Grant explained:- "The vigil is an opportunity to stand together in sorrow and solidarity to remember the women and girls whose lives were stolen by male violence. Each name represents a woman or girl loved and missed beyond measure. They will never be forgotten. This violence is not inevitable, it is preventable, and it must end. As we call out the names of local killed women, we renew our commitment to demand change, to challenge inequality, and to build a world where women and girls are safe, valued, and free from fear. A world that refuses to look away but 1 where femicide evokes outrage and action."

Chief Executive LDAS, Paula Nolan commented:- "The number of women and girls killed by men in Merseyside each year is staggeringly high and shows no signs of improving. This vigil is to remember all the women and girls we have lost to male violence, show our support to their families and to raise awareness of violence against women and girls in our communities. Violence against women and girls is everyone's business and as such we need our communities to stand with us as allies, especially men, so we can all challenge and change this scourge on our society."

Manager Amadudu Women's Refuge, Jacqui Fray responded:- "Amadudu Women's Refuge stands in solidarity with Liverpool's Domestic Abuse Services, the Merseyside Police Crime Commissioner, and partners across the City in remembrance of Merseyside's women and girls who have lost their lives to male violence. This Vigil also reinforces our call to the Government for continued funding for Domestic Abuse services. On 25 November 2025, Amadudu will join the candle lit vigil at Derby Square, Liverpool, to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls. This collective act of remembrance honours lives lost, while affirming a shared commitment to ending violence and supporting survivors across our communities. For 34 years, Amadudu has continued to provide life-saving refuge to Black and Ethnic Minoritised women and children fleeing domestic abuse and is dedicated to the fight to end violence against women and girls in all its forms, in the home, in public spaces, in the workplace, and on social media."

Director SLDAS, Rebecca Radcliffe added:- "Across Merseyside, too many women and girls have lost their lives to male violence. Each life taken is a tragedy; a painful reminder that this violence is not inevitable, but the result of a culture that too often excuses, minimises, or ignores harm. This vigil is our moment to come together in collective remembrance and solidarity. We stand to honour the women and girls whose lives have been stolen, to support all those living with the impact of male violence, and to reaffirm our shared commitment to change. Together, we will continue to speak out, to stand united, and to demand a future where every woman and girl in Merseyside and beyond can live free from fear."

Executive Director RASA Merseyside, Lorraine Wood expressed:- "The vigil is a time for our community to come together to honour and remember the women of Merseyside whose lives have been brutally taken by male violence. We stand not only in grief, but in unity and determination to create a world where women and girls can live free from fear and harm. We encourage everyone to join us, to stand up, speak out, and show that violence against women will never be tolerated in our communities."

CEO & Founder Savera UK, Afrah Qassim pronounced:- "The lives of too many women in Merseyside have been lost because male violence continues to be excused and normalised. Femicide, and the abuse that fuels it, including:- 'honour'-based abuse and harmful practices, is preventable. This vigil is our opportunity, as a community, to stand together in solidarity, remember those we've lost, and demand change. There is no honour, no justification, and no excuse for male violence against women and girls."

The event will take place at Derby Square in Liverpool City Centre from:- 5.00pm to 6.00pm, on Tuesday, 25 November for anyone interested in attending.

If you or someone you know has been affected by rape or sexual assault, domestic abuse, stalking or harmful practices, there are support services available that can help. Find support in your area by visiting the Victim Care Merseyside website; help in my area:- VictimCareMerseyside.Org.

Edge Hill collaboration creates checklist for health professionals to put children's rights 1st

TO mark International Children's Day 2025, the Edge Hill-led iSupport collaboration has launched a vital new tool to improve patient care.

iSupport's Rights based Standards Checklist is designed to help health professionals ensure that every child's rights and wellbeing are respected during health care interactions.

The tool aims to help support professionals and teams to briefly pause, check and agree key steps before a child's test, treatment or examination. The iSupport checklist aims to strengthen communication, enhance teamwork, and reduce preventable harm and distress.

Lucy Bray, Professor of Child Health Literacy and iSupport Lead, said:- "Our work has shown that children can experience avoidable upset and distress when having tests, treatments and examinations. They can learn to fear procedures and develop trauma. There is still a gap in how techniques such as:- developing connection and trust, preparing children and using distraction are used in practice. The Checklist is there to help healthcare professionals pause and plan and avoid using methods like restraint with distressed children"

iSupport is now inviting healthcare professionals and organisations to use the new checklist in their workplaces to translate the rights-based standards into everyday practice.

The small, credit card sized checklist, which can be easily carried on a lanyard, features nine core statements based on the iSupport Rights Based Standards:-

• S = Stop; is there an agreed plan?
  

• U = Understanding; does the child and carer know what is going to happen?
  

• P = Pain and positioning; has the child had analgesia, if needed, and are they calm and comfortable?
  

• P = Play; are playful approaches, distraction and coping strategies planned?
  

• O = Options; have the child and/or carer been given choices?
  

• R = Resources; are the right people with the right skills in the room?
  

• T = Talk and Trust; Has child-centred communication developed trust by listening, responding and helping the child feel safe?
  

• E = Exit and Escalation; is there a back up plan if the child becomes distressed?
  

• D = Debrief; has the child, carer and staff been supported and next steps agreed?

iSupport is honoured to work with Hospital trusts in England, Southern Ireland and internationally. Local staff in Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust, Ormskirk Hospital were the 1st teams to receive the new checklists and lanyards.

Professor Bray added:- "In busy healthcare settings, even the most experienced professionals face intense time pressures and complex demands. Research across safety and quality initiatives shows that brief, structured check-ins, when teams briefly pause to agree on key steps can strengthen communication, enhance teamwork and reduce preventable harm to patients. The iSupport Checklist is designed to facilitate these critical moments, to give busy staff the permission to pause and agree a procedural plan before proceeding."

iSupport is an international collaboration, comprising a team of 50 professionals and experts across 16 countries. The core mission is to ensure that a child's short and long-term physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing are central to all decisions about healthcare procedures.

The iSupport website provides free resources for families and professionals to learn how to support children through procedures including:- a prep sheet for children and case studies to show how the standards look in practice.

Edge Hill University offers a range of nursing course all approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council, in areas such as:- adult, child, learning disabilities and mental health nursing.

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