Written by JoJo Kirtley and performed by PCC Susan Dungworth at the Newcastle-Gateshead march on Saturday 30th November
Co-created with Northeast women & girls
Together we reclaim the night… this is the spark of our rebellion: The suffragettes pounded the Toon’s cobbled streets- chanting, ‘Votes for Women!’ we echo their strength and resilience. How many of us walk with one earphone in,
Listening for footsteps echoing behind? We reclaim the right to wear both earphones
losing ourselves in our favourite songs.
We dream of dancing on these streets, to the soundtrack of our lives, carefree, not looking over our shoulders.
Listening to Aretha’s Respect as we walk along the Tyne.
Florence & the Machine, Little Simz, a 90’S Cher anthem pulsing through our veins as we stride along the Quayside,
Little Mix’s Power, and one for the Swifties, as we cross the Millennium Bridge.
What an amazing sight. We reclaim the night.
Instead, walking home at night feels:
Uneasy. Hypervigilant. On edge. Eerie. This is what the girls said.
Every shadow, every sound, a warning. Public spaces stained with horror stories: whistles, catcalls – “Whey, it’s harmless, pet.” We grip our keys “just in case.” Do our sons feel this burden, or only our daughters? One in two women experiences harassment in public places,
And yet the weight of safety falls on us. We reclaim the right to exist without fear and demand to feel secure everywhere. Because – it’s safer for a squirrel in a park than a woman. And we’d rather face a bear than a man. Surely, safety is our basic right. We reclaim the night.
The patriarchy looms large, unchallenged, unaccountable. If we dare speak up, we’re labelled “difficult.” If our clothes are deemed provocative, we’re accused of “asking for it.” We reclaim our bodies from trauma and Hollywood ideals, breaking free from society’s expectations. We reclaim our voices from rule makers, online trolls, and demand the right to live on our own terms, celebrating our individuality. We refuse to shrink into corners, we reclaim our space, free from manspreading. Imagine a world without women’s voices: our laughter, our herstories, erased. The sound of your mam singing when she’s happy gone. It’s happening now—women being silenced Worldwide. And we could be next- unless we fight. We reclaim the night.
We reclaim respect from the sexism in our schools,
And demand teachers create a learning environment free from “get back in the kitchen.” Taunts, from lads who mansplain the big bang theory,
Even though we study triple science- thank you very much.
We reclaim our right to play football—howay the lasses! To wear knee-length socks without anyone saying its inappropriate We reclaim our independence and to feel comfortable in our own skin,
To have periods without feeling ashamed or disgusting,
For our mental and physical health to be taken seriously. We want a world where all our reproductive rights are safe and protected,
Where we can all wear summer dresses without comments like, “That’s a bit too tight.” We reclaim the night.
From the headwaters of the River Tyne, Tees and Wear to the shore of the North Sea,
We stand for our own liberation.
No matter your race or faith, whether a Magpie or a Black Cat,
We will never forget the daughters lost:
Sarah. Alice. Sabina. Nicole. Bibaa. Sara. Holly.
The list goes on, and the femicide continues.
Yet we’re still expected to say, “Not all men”
And endure relentless whataboutery.
We’re told the #MeToo movement has gone too far,
That it’s just “a few bad apples.” We don’t want to take the night away from men.
We want to share the moon, the stars, the Northern Lights equally.
How about all men be our allies and stand with us?
For every woman, every girl, every voice silenced by violence—
We believe you.
As Gisele Pelicot said, “It’s not for us to have shame; it’s for them.”
These streets belong to us too: Geordie women, black and white.
Because… we reclaim the night.
