TAKE BACK THE NIGHT 2014!!!!!

What does Take Back the Night mean to me?

A world where I can walk home alone at night after school or after work, without fearing what might be hiding in the shadows. A world where I can wear whatever I want without living in fear of inviting unwanted attention. A world where I can be a woman and that can mean whatever I want it to. 

Take Back the Night means that and so much more. This event unites people all over the world for one night to stand up against the fear, oppression and violence that women across the world experience everyday simply because they are women. It gives women a voice in a world where they are constantly being silenced. This night is an opportunity to reclaim the streets, to become empowered and to raise awareness.

For over the past two decades, Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis has collaborated with the wider community to make this very important event a reality each and every year. This year, the Take Back the Night march and rally will take place on Thursday, September 25 at 6:30 – 9:00pm. We will meet at Marianne’s Park and march through downtown to City Hall. The park itself was dedicated to Marianne Goulden in 1993 by the city of Guelph. Marianne was one of the first women to stay at the Women in Crisis shelter. She became a volunteer soon after and eventually a staff member for Women in Crisis. On January 21, 1992 Marianne Goulden was stabbed to death by her common law partner, Timothy Weldon, in front of her teenage daughter. 

Violence affects each and every one of us. It can impact us directly if we experience or witness it ourselves. It can impact us indirectly when we watch our friends, loved ones or even acquaintances live through it. And it shapes who we are as women when we are taught from a very young age to not go out after dark, to not dress a certain way, to live and act in a manner that will keep us safe. What is safety if we live in constant fear? What is safety if your partner is the one perpetrating the violence against you? What is safety if our children, our future, continue to witness acts of violence in the home?
I invite you to answer the question then:

What does Take Back the Night mean to you?

Refuse to Give Up! What is Resiliency?

Take Back the Night’s focus this year is ‘refuse to give up’, which is an example of resiliency. So what then, is resiliency? Resiliency is the ability to quickly recover from difficulties, such as trauma, threats, or tragedies. Being resilient does not mean experiencing no difficulties or hardships, it means moving forward with supportive relationships, encouragements, and reassurance. Resiliency is refusing to be silenced when standing up against the violence directed towards women and children.

The beginning of September marks the beginning of a new school year where students are met with positive beginnings. However, students from at least two universities were faced with negative messages glorifying non-consensual intercourse. Last week, a pro-rape chant was used during frosh week at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The chant itself celebrated and promoted underage, non-consensual sex: “SMU boys we like them young… Y is for your sister, O is for oh so tight, U is for underage, N is for no consent, G is for grab that a**.”  Similarity, the same pro-rape chant was sung during frosh week at the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia.

It was revealed that this particular chant has been used for some years. According to the Global Mail, the students’ attempted to conceal the chants by the mutual agreement that “if it happens in the group, it has to stay in the group.” Furthermore, there were students that have come forward complaining about the chants; however, their concerns were dismissed. It was not until the videos were posted on the internet that disciplinary measures and actions were taken to stop the chant from occurring.

Resiliency can come from different sources; from individuals or from a group, it can be personal or it can be public resiliency.  Regarding the pro-rape chants, resiliency came from the public; resiliency came from the students stepping up against the chants and fellow peers. Resiliency can mean different things to different people. What does resiliency mean to you?

There are no easy solutions to eliminate violence against women; we need a joint effort from society, governments, men and women. We can begin by recognizing and standing up against violence – let’s refuse to give up!

Sources:

http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/resilience?q=Resiliency#resilience__6

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/does-rape-chant-furor-tell-us-value-university-200532833.html

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/ubc-shifts-into-damage-control-over-offensive-student-chant/article14183713/

Hello Everyone, 

Take Back the Night (TBTN) is just around the corner - September 26th!

Take Back the Night has become synonymous with standing up against sexual violence that is directed towards women. The TBTN march is an opportunity to reclaim the streets and to speak up against the violence. The first recorded event with the principles and ideas of TBTN occurred in the United States in October 1975 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The event was organized as a response from citizens outraged after the murder of young microbiologist, Susan Alexander Speeth. She was stabbed to death blocks from her home while she was walking alone. In March 1976, the first "reclaim the night march" was held in Belgium to protest the ways violence affects the lives of women. 

The term "Take Back the Night" did not come into use until 1977, which comes from the title of a memorial read by Anne Pride at an anti-violence rally that same year.

Canada's first march was held in 1978 in Vancouver, BC. In 1981, the Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centers announced that the third Friday in September be declared the evening for Take Back the Night marches. Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis has held an annual Take Back the Night march for decades. The march is held in Marianne's Park. The park itself was dedicated to Marianne Goulden in 1993 by the city of Guelph. Marianne Goulden was one of the first women to stay at the Women in Crisis shelter. Marianne was stabbed by her common-law partner, Timothy Weldon, in front of her teenage daughter. (For more information on Marianne see sources below). The violence affects us all whether it be directly or indirectly. Come join the march and stand up against sexual violence against women. Let's refuse to give up the fight! 

Sources: 

Takebackthenight.org/about

Canadianwomen.org/node/1949

Citizensshift.org/node/6913&dossier_nid=1122 

Take Back the Night Guelph 2013

SAVE THE DATE!
Thursday, September 26, 2013

If you are interested in participating in the planning and preperation of the annuam march and rally to end sexual violence agaisn women and children please email wiceducator@gwwomenincrisis.org.

Take Back The Night 2012

Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis

Take Back The Night 2012

This Thursday, September 27th at 6:30PM the Guelph-Wellington Women In Crisis organization invites the community to meet at Marianne's Park to begin this year's Take Back The Night rally and march through the city.

            Take Back the Night is an event intent on extending community awareness of sexualized violence against women and children. Thursday's rally will run from 6:30-9:00 PM at Marianne’s Park and City Hall and will include performances by the Women’s Drumming group and local poets. Men are encouraged to support the women, transwomen and children from the sidewalk as they march from Marianne’s Park to City Hall and all are welcome to join the following Unity March through the downtown area.

             Guelph-Wellington Women In Crisis is just one of the local co-coordinator and a proud supporter of the international Take Back The Night initiative originally founded by Katie Koestner, the first women to speak publicly on date rape. Women In Crisis promotes the safety and respect of all and aims specifically to end sexual assault and domestic violence against women and children.

Guelph General Hospital has responded to 58 victims of acute sexual assault this year (57 being female) and it's Paediatric Sexual Assault Care has reported taking in 11 female children. In addition, Emergency Services has responded to 21 females regarding domestic violence in Guelph.

Guelph-Wellington Women In Crisis has provided services to more than 1500 women yearly. Additionally our crisis line has responded to over 3000 calls each year. Women In Crisis intends to create awareness of the reality of domestic violence and sexual assault in the local community through Thursday's Take Back The Night event.  

2010 Take Back the Night

We're Taking It Back!

On Thursday, September 30^th at 6 pm, the Guelph community will gather at Marianne’s Park to take part in a rally and march to “say NO!” to sexualized violence against women and children.

The Take Back the Night rally will feature guest speakers, activities for children, t-shirt making, and community monologues. Everyone is welcome to come to the rally from 6 to 6:45 pm (at Marianne's Park), and 7:30pm (St. George's Square). Women, transwomen and children are invited to participate in the march that will leave Marianne’s Park at 6:45 pm. We welcome men to support participants throughout the march from the sidewalks, joining together in solidarity before and after the march.

The Take Back the Night location also has a deep significance to the Guelph community. The Take Back the Night is held at Marianne’s Park. The City of Guelph dedicated the park to Marianne Goulden in 1993, after she was stabbed by Timothy Weldon, her common-law partner, in front of her teenage daughter. Marianne Goulden was one of the first women to stay at the Women in Crisis shelter. She later became an employee of the shelter and women staying there soon began saying they were staying at “Marianne’s Place”, a name that has stayed to this day.

Take Back the Night is coordinated by Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis. For more information, please visit the Take Back the Night Guelph Blog at takebackthenightguelph.blogspot.com

Media Contact:

Jessica St. Peter

Public Educator, Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis

519 836 1110 ext. 234 (work)

wiceducator@gwwomenincrisis.org Website: takebackthenightguelph.blogspot.com