Commissioner unveils powerful exhibition to mark White Ribbon Day

An exhibition of artworks designed to spark conversations about violence against women and girls has been unveiled at Gwent Police headquarters in Cwmbran to mark White Ribbon Day.

White Ribbon Day, observed on November 25, is a global campaign to end gender-based violence.

The exhibition showcases works by members of the Threads community arts project and explores themes of memory, feminism, and resilience, while confronting issues of violence against women.

Many of the pieces were previously displayed at the Resilience exhibition in Brecon earlier this year, while several works are being shown to the public for the first time.

Police and Crime Commissioner Jane Mudd said: “This exhibition is designed to make you stop and think about society’s attitude toward women and girls.

“The figures don’t lie. Women and girls are far more likely to be harassed, abused, and even killed than men in our communities. We simply must stop making excuses for these harmful behaviours and attitudes.

“I would like to thank the artists responsible for this exhibition for loaning it to us and enabling us to bring it into the heart of Gwent Police, where we can encourage these discussions and make a real difference to our communities.”

The exhibition will be on display at Gwent Police headquarters in Cwmbran on White Ribbon Day, and officers and staff from across Gwent’s five counties will have the opportunity to visit.

Chief Constable Mark Hobrough said: “Bringing this exhibition into police headquarters, not only serves as a reminder to our commitment to tackling violence against women and girls, but it also encourages discussions amongst colleagues on how attitudes and behaviours perpetuate gender inequality and gender-based violence. To wear a white ribbon is to promise to never commit, excuse or remain silent about male violence against women. It’s important that we not only continue to speak up but encourage others to do so too.

“Calling out friends or colleagues might feel uncomfortable but put yourself in the shoes of those who the sexist, misogynistic, and inappropriate comments are directed at. For those, these comments go beyond uncomfortable.

“Speaking up can take many forms, from calling it out on the spot, taking someone aside, to reporting concerns on someone else’s behalf.

“We have taken positive steps to improve our own culture and the service we offer victims, but we recognise there’s more work to do. We will continue to prioritise tackling violence against women and girls to rebuild trust and confidence.”

“We are committed to bringing offenders to justice and protecting victims, if you or anyone you know has been a victim of this crime, please come and talk to us.”

The exhibition was loaned to the Police and Crime Commissioner’s office by members of the Threads community art project and has recently been on display in Brecon.

Carol Kay is one of the three artists behind the exhibition along with Kerri Thomas and Mary Wrenn. She said: “We’re pleased to get this opportunity use our art to focus on issues of misogyny and violence against women. Every year at least 100 women in the UK are murdered by men, nearly always by people well known to them - current or ex-partners, close relatives or friends.

“Research shows that there are well evidenced danger signs before these murders and our work highlights these. We want to use our creativity to make a difference and we’re grateful to the PCC and the Chief Constable for helping us do that.”