Council leaders in Portsmouth pledge to make sure women and girls feel safe in the city
ITV News Meridian's Rachel Hepworth spoke to a survivor of domestic abuse on White Ribbon day
Today, on White Ribbon day, the campaign that encourages men to hold themselves accountable, council leaders in Portsmouth pledged to make sure women and girls feel safe in the city.
ITV News Meridian spoke with a domestic abuse survivor who says more needs to be done to raise awareness around male violence against women.
Speaking anonymously she has shared her experience to encourage others to speak out.
Neeloya, which is not her real name, suffered months of abuse at the hands of her husband.
Neeloya, which is not her real name, talks about her experience of domestic violence
She said: "When he took the knife and when he came to kill me, then I thought, this person doesn't love me anymore"
"I lost my life. I lost my future. I lost my dad and my parents and everything, my good memories."
Due to cultural expectations and isolation, it took Neeloya tremendous strength to seek help.
She has moved on with her life, but hopes the culture will change for others and begs abusers to walk away rather than inflicting damage.
Neeloya said: "Get away from the relationship, rather than harming her physically or mentally.
"Please don't raise your hands against a woman, because we are all human."
A domestic abuse-related call is made to police every 30 seconds, the vast majority from women.
Today, at the Portsmouth Guildhall, a white flag was raised to mark the day, the global initiative aims to encourage more men to confront misogyny when they see it.
Claire Lambon, CEO of Stop Domestic Abuse, said: "We need men to call out the behaviour of other men and to challenge those myths and those deceptions that men think are acceptable, so that women and girls are safe." Among those speaking at the ceremony, 22-year-old Luke, who survived domestic abuse as a teenager at the hands of his mum's ex-partner.
Now working in hospitality, he has seen first-hand how abuse can escalate.
Luke Dance says it's men's responsibility to make sure they are calling out friends and loved ones
Luke Dance said: "Especially within this kind of late night drinking culture, that a lot of the kind of boys will be boys mentality.
"People who don't deserve to be abused or harassed just because they've gone to a bar or a nightclub.
"As men, it's our responsibility to make sure that we are calling our friends out, calling our loved ones, and if they aren't changing, then to reevaluate our relationship with them"
City Leaders stood in solidarity pledging their support to the campaign.
Councillor Suzy Horton says men have a critical role in this
Councillor Suzy Horton, Portsmouth City Council, said: "Men have a critical role in this.
"If they are the ones who call out the micro-aggressions, if they're the ones who challenge the language, if they're the ones who just ask to check if someone's okay, that can be the start of a really seismic change in culture."
If you've been affected by the issues in this report, you can find links to support here.
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