#WeWillWeek - Stoke High School Ormiston Academy takeover 

Stoke High School Ormiston Academy

On Wednesday 1st March we tasked pupils across the Ormiston network with the #WeWill website challenge. Asking young people to write and submit content on the day. Three pupils from Stoke High School Ormiston Academy, investigated themes on equality, inclusion and diversity – highlighting why they are fundamental and critical to the protection of our society. 

Feminism, By Luna Dias and Emily Laycock 

Sexual Harassment 

Many people have experienced sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is defined as any kind of unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature. Examples of unwanted sexual behaviour include catcalling – making unwanted sexual comments, up skirting, stalking, leering, or staring, wolf-whistling and indecent exposure. Some types of sexual harassment break criminal law, for example anything involving physical touching. People of all ages and genders can or have experienced sexual harassment. According to the GOV.UK website, 72% of the UK population have experienced sexual harassment in their lifetime. Other types of sexual violence include rape and sexual assault. 

Sexual Assault 

According to Rape Crisis, ‘Sexual Assault is when someone touches another person in a sexual manner without their consent, or when someone makes another person take part in a sexual activity with them without that person’s consent. It includes unwanted kissing and sexual touching.’ 

Difficulty Reporting Sexual Harassment 

Many people report feeling ashamed to report sexual harassment. However, it is important to remember that this unwanted behaviour is always fully the perpetrator or perpetrators’ fault. Many people also feel as if reporting sexual harassment would not change anything, or perhaps that they would not be believed or listened to. This is a problem as sexual harassment can greatly impact people’s mental health and it can happen in places like workplaces or schools, where it could end up becoming a regular occurrence. 

The lack of action taken when sexual harassment is reported is a problem we want to solve. We want to do this by creating a safe space for victims to be able to safely report what has happened to them. We want a reporting system where action is taken to stop harassment, because it cannot be tolerated any longer. 

Discrimination against multi-coloured skin and travellers, By Florian Ciuca 

Growing up as a traveller I have experienced many discriminations and differences, kids used to call me “seed muncher” or “job stealer”, and yet I had to accept it and move on. It did not really hurt me, or my feelings being called these stuff as I knew it was nothing to be ashamed of. Other people like me would not like these comments as some might be sensitive. 

 I am writing this as I want this world to be a safe place, and a place in which you don’t have to suffer just because your looks are different. Looks do not matter what matters is the personality of a person and how they act towards other pupils.  

Racism and poor treatment against Gypsies, Travellers and Roma people is nothing new. Half a million Roma people were killed during the Holocaust. The Roma group are the biggest ethnic minority within the European Union, yet they often get unfavourable treatment and are very rarely represented fairly.  

Many European countries to this day still have such things as segregated schools for Roma children, blocked access to housing registers and children being separated from their families by authorities. In 2010, the then French president Nicolas Sarkozy even paid Roma people €300 (£269) each to leave the country. I do not agree with the fact travellers should be outcasts. I believe that we can all live in a world where we have peace.  

 With protests and demonstrations taking place around the globe in recent years and people talking about removing old statues – it’s likely you’ve heard the word ‘racism’ a lot recently. 

 Racism is where someone treats another person differently because their skin colour is not the same as theirs, they speak a different language or have different religious beliefs. One of the biggest anti-racism charities in the UK is Show Racism the Red Card (SRTRC). They state the main reason why it’s wrong to be racist is that: “for the person experiencing racism it can be really damaging to their wellbeing”. 

Racism is known to cause feelings of sadness, anger and depression. THIS MUST BE CHANGED NOW!