The Duchess of Cornwall supports the 'Shameless! Festival'

This evening, The Duchess of Cornwall attended a reception for ‘Shameless! Festival’, a collaboration between Women of the World and Birkbeck’s SHaME project.

The festival will be an in-person event at Battersea Arts Centre on 27th November, bringing together activism and art to confront and change attitudes towards sexual violence. Supported by The Wellcome Trust, Shameless! Festival will bring together national, international and grassroots organisations and charities, as well as local artists, leading voices and wellness practitioners, to confront and change societal attitudes towards sexual violence.

Addressing the guests at the reception, Her Royal Highness said:

The challenges are immense. The Crime Survey for England and Wales shows that 144,000 women were victims of rape or attempted rape in the last year for which these figures are available. This equates to roughly 16 of the most serious sexual offences every hour. Sixteen every hour. 

Her Royal Highness has long been an advocate for preventing and addressing the issue of sexual violence and harassment.

Previously in March 2017, in conjunction with Boots UK, The Duchess of Cornwall launched the Wash Bag Project, a scheme that provides a wash bag of toiletries to people across the UK who have been affected by rape and sexual abuse. The wash bags are provided by Boots UK and are given to Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) clients who have undergone a forensic examination, providing them with some comfort at a difficult time.

Shameless! Festival will take place on Saturday 27th November 2021, during the 16 Days of Action following the UN Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.