Newport woman lays out 100 pairs of shoes to mark lives lost to male violence
A domestic violence survivor returned to Newport’s streets with a stark display of 100 pairs of shoes, each symbolising a woman whose life was taken by male violence.
On International Women’s Day, as the government restated its aim to cut violence against women and girls by half within a decade, Newport resident Tess Lynam took to the town's streets to highlight the human impact of the crisis.
For the second year in a row, Tess laid out a pair of shoes to represent every woman who was killed last year at the hands of a man.
This year, the 32-year-old - who has herself experienced domestic abuse - spread 100 pairs of shoes out in the town square, 20 more than last year.
Recent research by the BBC reviewed every news article in 2025 that reported a woman or girl was found dead and a man was arrested.
The investigation identified charges against men in 90 cases and uncovered 10 further cases in which a woman or girl was killed and the male suspect died, bringing the total number of incidents to 100.
"It's good for people to see the scale, to give them that visual representation that stops a lot of people in their tracks," she said.
Tess said dozens of people came to speak with her during the shoe vigil, including many who shared their own stories of abuse.
"I think a lot of people don't think it happens in places like Newport," she said.
"We need to raise awareness about it and we need to get people talking about it - that's what I'm going to keep doing."
This year, Tess also sold the shoes that were on display to raise money for Women's Aid and Refuge, with donations reaching almost £200 for the two charities.
Anyone suffering from domestic violence or who knows someone who might be can reach out to the following organisations:
National Domestic Abuse Helpline: For 24/7 confidential support, call 0808 2000 247 or visit www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid: Access a live chat service, local support services, and educational resources at www.womensaid.org.uk.
TWC Safeguarding Partnership: Telford and Wrekin Safeguarding Partnership (TWSP) is responsible for making sure that children, young people and adults are kept safe in Telford and Wrekin www.telfordsafeguardingpartnership.org.uk/domesticabuse
Rape Crisis England & Wales: Specialist services for survivors of sexual violence. Call 0808 802 9999 or visit www.rapecrisis.org.uk