Exactly 108 pairs of black shoes are now on display in Plymouth to remember the number of women murdered by men in the UK in 2020.
The event was planned to mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and was particularly poignant given the recent tragic death of Bobbi-Anne McLeod.
The shoes were due to be on display in Plymouth Guildhall until mid-December.
The installation was conceived by local women’s charity Trevi, in collaboration with Plymouth City Council and many third sector agencies across the city who are working to prevent violence against women and girls, including First Light and The Eddystone Trust.
Councillor John Riley, Cabinet Member for Governance, HR, IT and Community Safety, said: “Recent tragic events bring home how much work still needs to be done to end violence against women and girls.
“Thank you to Trevi for their work on this piece, and to all of the people working to protect and get justice for victims of violence.”
Hannah Shead Trevi’s chief executive said:
“It is a genuine privilege to honour the 108 women who were murdered in 2020 – however, in collecting these shoes, the grim reality of the scale of the murders has struck all involved in preparing this exhibition. These shoes represent 108 women who should be alive now, spending time with their friends or families. They aren’t, and we will mourn them together over the next 16 days.
“My sense of sadness is only matched by an anger that these women were murdered so brutally and senselessly. It is for this reason that we shall continue to campaign against male violence and fight for a world in which women can be safe.”
