Special reason why Nottingham Council House will be lit up orange for one night

Nottingham Council House will be lit up orange for one night for a special reason. The landmark building, in Old Market Square, will be lit orange on Monday night (November 25) to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

People are also asked by Juno Women's Aid to join in showing their support for the cause by wearing orange. The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness that an estimated 736 million women - the equivalent of almost one in three - have been subjected to violence at least once in their lives.

Councillor Corall Jenkins, executive member for communities, waste and equalities, said: "In recent years, there has been an increase in misogynistic attitudes and behaviours, especially spread through the internet by social media personalities who promote an extremely toxic view of women. This is a view that dehumanises women and directly and indirectly encourages men to carry out violent acts against them.

"Therefore, it is more important than ever to challenge these views. Men are key to this. They can help young people who have fallen under the influence of toxic online discourse to be transformed into allies for women.

"There are many actions that everyone can take to help achieve this. It can be as simple as wearing orange or a white ribbon to show support, using gender neutral language or learning how to identify and call out seemingly harmless conversations, jokes and behaviour, stopping escalation before it occurs."

Juno Women's Aid is the largest domestic abuse organisation in Nottingham and one of the largest in the UK. They work with women, children and teens who have been affected by domestic abuse in Ashfield, Broxtowe, Gedling, Nottingham City and Rushcliffe.

To show support, people can also take pictures of themselves wearing orange and post it on social media with the hashtag #Orange4Juno. The day is also marked internationally as White Ribbon Day, with people also having the option to show support by wearing a white ribbon.

If you or someone you know would benefit from the support Juno offers, its 24-hour freephone domestic and sexual violence helpline number is 0808 800 0340.