Help us create a world free from patriarchy

Who we are 

This Ends Now is the first protest-lobby non-profit organisation dedicated to exposing patriarchy and ending sexual violence. Our mission is clear: to create a world where patriarchy no longer exists. And our aims are to: 

• Change public opinion around sexual violence. 
• Encourage men to challenge misogyny. 
• Dilute the effect of the patriarchy.

What we have achieved

Since forming in September 2022 we have:

• Staged a massive protest march in Stroud against sexual violence, with over 400 people attending and speeches from big names in gender equality work. 
• Conceived the first-ever police constabulary ‘Words Matter’ policy, guiding the language used around sexual assault, to end victim blaming and change public opinion and behaviour. 
• Been mentioned in parliamentary discussions about sexual violence.
• Staged the first UK-resident-organised vigil for Iranian women and protesters.
• Been invited to Parliament to discuss the Victims' Bill.
• Secured a book publishing deal to create a series of resources which will support training in schools and businesses around consent, gender stereotypes, patriarchy and sexual violence.
• We have contributed to the Gloucestershire Sexual Violence Partnership work.
• Met with Alastair Stenner, Detective Superintendent of Professional Standards, Force Vetting and Public Feedback Team of Gloucestershire Constabulary to discuss how This Ends Now can play a chief role in national police reform.
• Instigated the change of Gloucestershire Constabulary’s police’s Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) policy to be called Male Violence Against Women and Girls (MVAWG).
• Been featured multiple times on local radio, television and in newspapers, including the BBC Points West, BBC Radio Gloucestershire, Stroud News and Journal, Stroud Times, and ITV West Country.

Our story 

Following a series of sexual assaults and rapes in Gloucestershire during the Summer of 2022, Nikki wrote a column for Stroud Times expressing her frustration and sadness. She then reached out to Sydney, founder of feminist legal organisation FemLegal, to organise a protest in Stroud.

On 17 September 2022, This Ends Now staged its first protest against sexual violence, following the community's outpouring of sadness and anger. Over 400 people attended, with local and national media coverage. This was just the beginning.

Why we are different 

So many incredible people have campaigned, marched, and produced vital reports calling for change and highlighting how it can occur. However, attempts at change are criticised for adopting an 'us versus them' approach i.e., women versus men. We believe the next wave of feminism must include men. 

• Our #AllMen campaign invites men to become actively involved in deconstructing the patriarchy and creating lasting change.
• Our Police Misogyny campaign is about ensuring the learnings and reports are placed on statutory footing (i.e. they are legally enforceable) and as a result, the police receive the funding necessary to carry out the recommendations and are held accountable for seeing them through.
• Our Words Matter campaign is about changing the language used by the UK police and media when handling and reporting sexual offences to end victim blaming and misogyny. 
• Our How Do I Report This? campaign seeks to ensure that UK universities adopt a standardised process for students to report incidents of sexual misconduct. 

What patriarchy does today

Since the beginning of 2023, we have seen the BBC give Andrew Tate airtime to express his misogynistic views, women and girls murdered by their husbands and fathers, and court backlogs for rape hit a record high. More than 50 MPs are facing allegations of sexual misconduct and the vote on barring MPs charged with sexual offences has been delayed and deprioritised. Women are being jailed for taking abortion pills after the 'legal' limit. These are just a few examples of patriarchy manifesting itself in our society to the detriment of those who identify as women and girls.

For context, a patriarchal society consists of a male-dominated power structure throughout organised society and individual relationships, creating a systemic bias against women. Men are also victims of the patriarchy, told they must meet harmful gender stereotypes, making many men unable to cry, express emotion, or talk about their feelings. Suicide is the single biggest killer of men under the age of 45 in the UK.

How are we using the money?

Since forming back in September last year, Nikki and Sydney have been working tirelessly on our four major campaigns - squeezing this work in around full-time jobs (often with the help of lots of caffeine, passion and frustration!). We have now grown to a point where we need funds to achieve our campaign aims. This crowdfunding campaign will help push us further on our mission to create a world where patriarchy no longer exists. 

This money will help us create a compelling, influential video aimed at #allmen to help bring men into the conversation, combat the influence of misogynistic social media influencers and form the next wave of feminism; to buy materials for a massive billboard exposing the patriarchal and misogynistic language used by the UK media; and to help us post these billboards in major cities across the UK. We want our campaigns to reach as many people as possible, and we need your help to do this. 

As a guideline...

• £20 could help us produce 100 informative leaflets aimed at providing young people with the tools they need to talk about consent and their rights. These resources could then be distributed in schools and colleges across the UK.
• £500 could help us produce a compelling, influential video aimed at #allmen, to help bring men into the conversation, combat the influence of misogynistic social media influencers and form the next wave of feminism. 
• £1,000 could enable us to buy the materials for a massive billboard exposing the patriarchal and misogynistic language used by the UK media. 
• £10,000 could help us to post these billboards in major cities across the UK.

We are investing our time and money into this project because we believe we can utilise intersectional feminism to create an equal and equitable society free from misogyny and sexism, to end male violence against women and girls. That said, funding really is the difference between a small, local impact, and a HUGE national one. Every penny raised goes directly to making it happen.

We need you

This is the feminism we believe in. And if you do too, please donate today and spread the word by sharing our Crowdfunder on social media, or contact us to see how we can collaborate and let’s start making this happen, all together!

You can contact our Holly, our Fundraising Officer, on [email protected] or pop us a message on social media if you have any questions!

Let's smash the patriarchy.