Hundreds of people are expected to take to the streets of Belfast and Derry this weekend to demand an end to gender-based violence.
The Reclaim the Night movement will hold simultaneous marches in the two cities on Saturday.
The rallies come amid a backdrop of an increasing number of incidents of violence against women, with six women murdered in Northern Ireland this year.
The marches also come just weeks protesters gathered on the streets of Derry at a ‘Rally for Women’s Safety’ following recent attacks in the city.
A total of four separate attacks against women were reported.
Crowds are due to gather at Writers Square in Belfast and Ebrington Square in Derry at 5.30pm to hear from speakers on issues around gender-based violence, before marching through the city streets.
Among the speakers are Claire Moore from the ICTU, Alexa Moore of the Rainbow Project and the Sex Workers Alliance Ireland.
The original Reclaim the Night rally took place in Leeds in 1977 as a protest against the West Yorkshire police’s advice to women to stay at home at night in response to 13 murders carried out by the Yorkshire Ripper.
Feminists in Belfast held a number of events in the 1980’s before it was revived 10 years ago in the midst of rising levels of sexual violence and assault.
The campaign has expanded to include all gender-based violence.
The marches are also part of the ‘Global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence’, which began today.
The marches are part of the ‘16 Days of activism against gender-based violence’, which is an annual international campaign that begins on November 25 - the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and runs until Human Rights Day on December 10.
Kellie Turtle, chair of Reclaim the Agenda, said: “Reclaim the Night is a chance for us to hear how gender-based violence impacts particular groups, as well as a space for us to come together in solidarity with victims and survivors”.
Tanya Kearns from Safe Night NI, who will address the Belfast rally, said they “want everyone to be able to enjoy nightlife without fear and are particularly highlighting the issue of spiking which has been of growing concern in recent years”.
