WEcount will be launched across the UK

A new interactive map will give women the opportunity to speak out against sexual violence and harassment across the UK – by marking areas of the city where spates of sexual violence have occurred.

The #WEcount campaign was initially launched in London to allow women to speak out against sexual harassment and will be rolled out across the UK after an initial trial proved successful.

The centrepiece of the scheme is a digital billboard located at Westfield Shopping Centre, Shepherds Bush, which will use a Google-maps style pin to allow women to raise awareness of the areas in the UK where they were sexually assaulted.



Speaking about the campaign, Sophie Walker, the leader of the Women’s Equality Party leader and a London Mayoral candidate, said: ‘An estimated 400,000 sexual offences against women occur in the UK each year.


The app aims to tackle sexual harassment

‘Despite their frequency, the majority of these, often violent, incidents are unreported, and women are left feeling unsafe and unable to walk without fear on their own streets.

‘It is vital that the victims of sexual harassment and assault have their voices heard as we strive to reclaim the streets for women and put an end to sexual violence once and for all.’

Cheil London, the marketing team behind the new map, also teamed up with browsing app Blippar to bring the digital campaign to life for Londoners.

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The team painted 10 icons around the capital, from the Houses of Parliament to Parliament Hill, which show the Google Maps pin transformed into an exclamation mark.

People who blip the mark will be provided with content and information about incidents connected to the area – raising further awareness of crimes and the support on offer, along with the stories of victims.