Northumbria PCC launches the ‘It All Adds Up’ campaign to combat sexual harassment in the North East

The ‘#ItAllAddsUp’ campaign shares experiences of women from across the region by turning them into a series of powerful short films.

The digital campaign aims to tackle misogynistic behaviours and attitudes as well as preventing sexual harassment.

‘It All Adds Up’ is part of the Northumbria PCC’s Women’s Safety in Public Places project, which has invested over £1million pounds worth of practical solutions and behaviour change projects to make people feel safer.

To build the material for the campaign, the PCC worked alongside Rape Crisis Tyneside and Northumberland to conduct a series of focus groups to capture real-life views and anecdotes.

Meerkat Films, Newcastle’s award-winning film production company, turned the snapshots into a number of short videos that feature women of different cultures, ages and sizes to highlight how sexual harassment happens to all women, not just the stereotypical beauty being chatted up in a nightclub.

It also shows the different settings in which women have faced sexual harassment in, such as on the bus in a rural community, with a child in the park or when popping to the shops in board daylight.

When speaking about the campaign, Kim McGuinness said: “By turning a blind eye to everyday harassment, it gives some men and boys the OK to go further and can lead to horrific consequences for the victim.

“So, with this powerful campaign we are doing the very opposite of turning a blind eye; we’re shining the spotlight on it.

“A simple remark can be intimidating, annoying, frustrating and even at times, triggering. It all adds up, and so we want men and boys to be asking themselves if they are part of the problem. If they are, they need to change.

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“So often women change who they are to try and stop sexual harassment from occurring. For example, changing their clothing, where they go, and when they go out.

“Women are blaming themselves. ‘I shouldn’t have been out so late’ and ‘well I was wearing a low-cut top’.

“This is all victim blaming and it is wrong. This isn’t a problem with women. The problem sits with men. People are often too scared to talk about it.

“Well, I am talking about it and I really hope people will join me and do the same so we can spark conversation and drive lasting change.

“My thanks go to all the women who shared their experiences. Without them we wouldn’t have been able to create such an authentic, genuine campaign.”

For more information about Kim McGuinness’ strategy to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls click here.