Women rise to end the violence

Campaigners revealed that 109 women were killed in violent attacks by men last year and their names were read out as 109 purple balloons were released above Parliament Square.

Megan-Leigh Peat, stabbed over 60 times by her boyfriend last July, was the youngest victim at just 15.

The protest was one of over 100 events happening across Britain as part of the global One Billion Rising campaign to end violence against women.

Flanked by MPs and celebrities, campaigners called on the Conservative-led government to educate young people about relationships and end the "culture of violence" which sees two women killed every week by men in Britain.

Labour MP Stella Creasy insisted "it is not the responsibility of women to avoid violence. It's for society to stop violence happening to women."

X-Factor runner-up and Women's Aid ambassador Jahmene Douglas, who has spoken openly about fleeing his abusive father, told campaigners young men must be taught to respect women.

And Green Party MP Caroline Lucas ordered the mainstream media covering today's demonstration to "stop the relentless objectification of women that normalises violence against women and girls."

A cross-party group of back-bench MPs marked today's global day of action by bringing forward a motion which called on the government to make sex and relationship education compulsory in all schools.

Former teacher and Labour MP Fiona McTaggart told the House of Commons that violence against girls in Britain's classrooms was "too common."

She added: "Society too often says to victims of rape and sexual violence: 'You were drunk, you were wearing provocative clothes'."

The motion was expected to be waved through the House of Commons but Labour's shadow women and equalities minister Yvette Cooper insisted the proposals must be made law.

Ms Cooper said there had been "too much warm words and waffle from ministers on the subject" during three years in which the Con-Dem government has "done nothing."

National Union of Teachers general secretary Christine Blower told the Star: "Schools are often the first point of contact for victims of domestic abuse but for society to succeed in tackling this problem we need properly resourced support services."

Around 100 women from across Britain also came together to form a flashmob dance troupe outside Westminster.

Natalia Rossetti, a gender studies student at Camrbridge, said: "There are countries where women are not even allowed to dance on the street and so we'll be doing exactly that."

But in an ironic twist police officers interrupted the lively but peaceful protests to order campaigners to move away from Parliament Square.