World enews: Expert panel to discuss how safe women really are in the UK during live event

The murder of Sarah Everard shone a spotlight on a culture of male harassment and violence against women and girls, sparking protests and calls for reform.

It isn’t the first time an act of violence against women has left the nation appalled but the horror of the incident seemed to ignite a consensus on the need for change that was different to any other time before.

Violence against women in both the home and in public places is highly prevalent in the UK. Between two and three women are murdered each week by their partners or ex-partners in England and Wales, while one in four women will suffer domestic abuse at some point during their lives.

Meanwhile, a survey by UN Women in spring found 97 per cent of young women in the UK said they had been sexually harassed, while 80 per cent reported experiencing sexual harassment in public spaces. On top of this, previous research by charity Plan International found one in three girls in the UK have been harassed in their school uniforms.

The question now is how, as a society, can we end this cycle and ensure that women are safer and no longer have to live in fear?

To discuss this topic, here are The Independent, we are hosting an exclusive expert lunchtime panel as part of our virtual event series. Our women’s correspondent Maya Oppenheim will be hosting the discussion and will be joined by Charlotte Proudman, a human rights barrister specialising in violence against women and girls, and Rebecca Hitchin from the End Violence Against Women Coalition.

The panel will explore what needs to be tackled first and how, as well as looking at who is responsible for this change to take place. They will also look at the situation for the victims and their families left behind after violent incidents have taken place and how society can help them heal by breaking down some of the taboos that continue to exist around the treatment of women.