International Women’s Day—new podcast and spoken word performance launches to help end misogyny and violence against women and girls
A new podcast series launched by Elmore Community Services is raising awareness about how men can think about their involvement in ending misogyny and violence against women.
Launched to mark International Women’s Day, held on March 8, the podcast series is co-hosted by actor Luke Jerdy and the Domestic Abuse Lead for Oxford City Council, Liz Jones. The series is also accompanied by a spoken word performance by Luke about ending misogyny and violence against women and girls across the UK.
Luke is known for his portrayal of Jesse Donovan in Channel 4's Hollyoaks from 2016 to 2020. Liz has worked in the Violence against Women and Girls field for 16 years and has facilitated and developed programmes for men who choose to be abusive and violent towards partners. Liz is also a trustee at Elmore Community Services.
At least 125 women have been killed in the UK since Sarah Everard was tragically kidnapped and murdered, according to campaigning website the Counting Dead Women project.
Sarah Everard’s death provides a teachable moment for men to be actively involved in new conversations to end misogyny. With the podcast’s encouragement to ‘pass it on’ to other men, ‘Flipping the Narrative’ aims to show men that they can help each other to sit up, become aware, and take important action to challenge men who perpetrate harmful behaviours.
The podcast’s hosts are calling on men to pass the series along to friends, families, and colleagues in order to start conversations, take new perspectives, and support each other and women to build an equitable society and healthy environment for everyone’s children to grow up feeling safe and cared for.
The podcast series intends to support more men to learn that it’s not enough to tell themselves they are not misogynistic, they need to take an active role, however small, in being part of the solution to end violence against females and the impact that it has on their children.
‘Flipping the Narrative’ aims to bring into being a culture that motivates everyone to get involved in recognising, challenging, and interrupting all forms of abuse against women. The series seeks to create a climate which views abusive attitudes, beliefs, and certain behaviours as unacceptable.
The podcast series launches with three episodes, with episodes being shared on a weekly basis. The podcast series includes the following episodes, each one covering a key theme:
What it means to be a male: hears from Josh and Conroy about what they see as masculinity and how emotions get processed.
Being a father: Sam became a father at 19 and now has 4 boys. He talks about his experience of fatherhood.
Misogyny in uniformed services: Rod had been a senior police officer in the Met for many years and discusses the culture within the force which allows misogyny to exist.
Does porn ruin or enhance relationships?: Abi and Dan discuss the influence of porn on how sex and relationships develop.
The role of masculinity in offending: Dom talks about some of the reasons men commit crimes and the role socialisation has in this.
Addiction and Recovery: looks at how addiction can start, the impact on somebody’s life, the process of recovery, and what life without addiction looks like.
Anger: looks at internalised anger, how destructive it is for the individual and ways to overcome it.
Tackling predatory males in the night time economy: How police and local authorities can work together to pursue potential offenders and prevent further victimisation.
Moving forward to a better world: hears from young people on their journey to adulthood and how can the future be better for men and women.
Elmore’s podcast ‘Flipping the Narrative’ is launching to end misogyny and end violence against women and girls.
Luke Jerdy, Co-host of ‘Flipping the Narrative’ and actor, said: “This podcast is exactly the kind of work I want to be involved in—work with a clear message and impact. I’ve explored my own issues with masculinity, particularly my problems with anger and what that can lead to. The more conversations I have, the better I feel. We’re all searching for answers and sometimes they aren’t clear. I hope the conversations we have in Flipping the Narrative can provide a bit of clarity in our chaotic, uncertain world.”
Liz Jones, Co-host of ‘Flipping the Narrative’ and Elmore Trustee, said: “The common response to abuse and violence towards women is to tell the women what they should do to prevent and stop it. We want to flip this narrative and talk to men about being part of the solution to prevent and stop the violence and abuse that impacts, to a greater or lesser extent on all the females in their lives. The podcast series explores issues which are relevant to men; what it means to be a male, addiction, anger, parenting, banter, and sex.”
Tom Hayes, Chief Executive of Elmore Community Services, said: “Elmore is delighted to be making this new podcast series to flip the narrative, so that we end misogyny and violence against women. These conversations are very timely, following the news that at least 125 women have been killed in the UK since Sarah Everard was tragically kidnapped and murdered.”
Stella Creasy MP, who is leading the effort in Parliament to make misogyny a hate crime in England and Wales, said: “Men and boys have an important role to play in addressing the culture in which women are at risk by being more than allies, but activists for change—its powerful to hear men starting to talk about how to do that and their own ability and responsibilities to help tackle the narratives that feed misogyny on Elmore Community Service’s podcast Flipping the Narrative.”
Notes:
The series has been funded by Oxford Safer Communities Partnership and Elmore Community Services and produced by Sound Rebel UK.
The spoken word performance has been funded by Sound Rebel UK and Elmore Community Services.
Luke Jerdy has written and stars in Y’MAM (Young Man’s Angry Movements), a solo stage show about his experiences with anger and growing up with the pressures of manhood. It will be on at the Soho Theatre, London in May 2022.
Elmore provides a Domestic Abuse service to support victims and survivors to recover and work alongside perpetrators to tackle harmful and controlling behaviours. The perpetrator programme was designed by Liz Jones. Elmore’s domestic abuse service is part of Family Solution Plus, an Oxfordshire County Council model.
For radio, television, and print interviews with Luke Jerdy and/or Liz Jones on International Women’s Day (March 8, 2022), and any further information, please contact Elmore’s Chief Executive Tom Hayes (thayes@elmorecommunityservices.org.uk).
Media :
The Oxford Mail covered the podcast launch here.