Club supports Haringey’s ‘Walk for Women’ on White Ribbon Day

Tottenham Hotspur proudly supported Haringey’s ‘Walk for Women’ as the Club and its community came together to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls on White Ribbon Day.

The second annual event saw Club staff and representatives - former captains of the men’s and women’s teams, Ledley King and Jenna Schillaci - join Leader of Haringey Council, Cllr Peray Ahmet, Cabinet Member for Health, Social Care & Wellbeing, Cllr Lucia das Neves, community organisations and local residents on a walk of solidarity through Tottenham.

It began at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the Club recently becoming the first to sign up to the Mayor of London’s Women & Girls Night Safety Charter and one of the first to set up a supporters’ association for women supporters of the men’s team - Women of the Lane.

Members of Women of the Lane also joined the walk as it continues to build connections with other women fan groups around the country, supporting clubs in playing a leadership role to encourage more conversations about sexual violence and better reporting of sexism and misogyny.Stops on the walk enabled participants to learn further about the work being done to tackle violence against women and girls locally in Haringey, including:

• RISE mutual, a support group that offers programmes for offenders, victim-survivors, and professionals in the criminal justice system and community.
• London Black Women’s Project, who provide essential services and safe spaces for Black, Asian and minoritised women and girls who have experienced domestic or sexual violence, and abuse
• North London Rape Crisis – who provide immediate care and support for women affected by sexual violence.
• The Grove – a local service that provides specialist support for people experiencing problems with drug and alcohol misuse, who put on specialist language and women’s groups
• Sister System help care-affected girls (13-24 yrs) to bridge the gap between them and mainstream society
• Jewish Women's Aid, the UK's only specialist organisation dedicated to supporting Jewish women and children affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence

White Ribbon Day falls on the 25 November each year and has become a globally-recognised movement in the fight to end gender-based violence. It also marks the start of the UN’s 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence.

Ledley said: “Our Club stands firmly against all forms of violence towards women and girls. To tackle this issue, we must first recognise it starts with men, so football has a huge role to play in this.

“As a signatory of the Mayor of London’s Women’s Night Safety Charter, we send the clear message that our stadium is a safe space for women and girls - who can feel safe in approaching us to receive assistance if they feel threatened, with our staff extensively trained.”

Jenna added: “We are proud to stand alongside colleagues from organisations across our community and march through Tottenham in solidarity on White Ribbon Day.

“As a Club with such a visible presence in its community, it is crucial that women and girls can feel safe in approaching us to receive assistance if they feel threatened, knowing that their concerns will be heard and acted upon.

“We thank Haringey Council for organising this hugely important initiative and hearing from many local organisations about the work they are doing to combat violence against women and girls.”

Cllr Lucia das Neves, Haringey Cabinet Member for Health, Social Care & Wellbeing said “We’re ensuring that we’re doing everything in our power to tackle gender-based violence in Haringey.

“This community-coordinated response means joining up with local businesses, police, partners, and healthcare systems to ensure survivors get help, and that perpetrators are held to account."