Liverpool schoolgirls say 'grown men scream at them' as they call for boys to be educated

Video report by ITV Granada Reports journalist, Mel Barham.

Schoolgirls have told of how they have been shouted at by grown men in the street while wearing their uniforms.

The Liverpool secondary school pupils, who have been involved in the drafting of a strategy to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), say boys need to be educated on the impact gender-based abuse can have.

Alexia Omar and Cara O'Sullivan - both Year 11 students at St Julies Catholic High School in Woolton - shared their experiences in and out of school.

"It's scary and annoying. It can literally be daylight and they'll (men) just scream stuff at you", Alexia recalls.

"You just put your head down and walk because you know that they are grown men and you're a child."

Almost third of Liverpool women experience violence as new strategy launched

"They tend to joke around with girls, on the bus and stuff like that, and their mates will applaud them for saying something that's not necessarily nice", Cara said.

"We as girls are given so much information, but we think it should start with a different audience, especifically boys at a young age", Alexia explains.

Cara added: "There's internalised misogyny in our society sometimes, especially from a young age.

"Boys can be like, 'girls can't play football' and stuff like that, and even getting the bus to and from school, I feel like girls always need to be together in a group."

When Liverpool Mayor Joanne Anderson came into power, she pledged VAWG would be one of her top priorities.

She not only wants more sustainable funding from the Government but is also hoping to change the narrative around misogyny and how girls and women are treated.

Liverpool Mayor Joanne Anderson has launched a three year strategy to tackle VAWG Credit: ITV Granada Reports

Mayor Anderson has now put together a three year strategy which has a number of aims including:

  • Ensuring that demand for services is better met

  • For women and girls to feel confident in calling out and challenging inappropriate behaviour

  • A robust and consistent approach to raising awareness and taking action in schools

Part of strategy's consultation was to engage various sectors and social groups across Liverpool, including young girls and students like Alexia and Cara.

Hearing their everyday experienced was crucial in drawing up a picture of how attitudes can lead to violence.

Research conducted by Liverpool City Council found out an estimated 30% of the 250,000 women and girls in Liverpool experience violence in some form in their lifetime.

Figures from Merseyside Police show that, between April 2021 and March 2022, an average of 3,026 domestic abuse crimes were recorded every month.

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