This is me

The THIS IS ME campaign has been developed in partnership with our expert stakeholders and survivors who are part of our Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Communications Group. These include representatives from:

• Welsh Women’s Aid (external link)
• Bawso (external link)
• Safer Wales (external link)
• Survivors Trust (Sexual Violence Sector) (external link)
• Welsh Local Government Association
• Cardiff University
• Police 
• Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service

What is the issue?

Outdated notions still exist of how we should all act and what behaviours and achievements we should expect as a result, putting pressure on people to conform to society’s ‘norms’.

Our gender can have an impact on how safe we feel, where we feel we can go, what job we feel we can apply for and other people’s expectations of us.

The THIS IS ME campaign recognises that we are all so much more than just our gender.

The campaign recognises that we must acknowledge the link between gender and violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence.

It acknowledges that the pressure to conform and gender inequality present in our society can be a cause and consequence of violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence.

Everyone in Wales deserves to live fear free of gender stereotypes –to be whoever they want to be and reach their full potential.

What can you do?

We are starting a conversation about gender inequality and how it affects people across Wales. From a man working as a midwife to a woman working as a mechanic, or a young boy wearing makeup to a young girl playing in the mud with her truck – people across Wales are already challenging gender stereotypes and ‘norms’, but inequality still remains.

Join the conversation on Facebook (external link) and Twitter (external link) using #thisisme to help us build a Wales that challenges gender stereotypes, a Wales free of pressure to conform, a Wales that celebrates #thisisme. 

Find out more (external links)

• Why gender can’t be ignored when dealing with domestic violence.
• Gender Stereotypes make teenagers more accepting of violence.
• AGENDA: a young people’s guide to making positive relationships matter.
• How can gender stereotypes affect children?
• Rizzle Kicks' Jordan Stephens on the effects of toxic masculinity.