Brandon’s ‘Take Back The Night’ march to raise awareness about domestic violence will be held this Thursday (Oct 19).
“‘Take Back the Night’ has been a tradition in Brandon for nearly 20 years,” said Sandy Smith, Advocacy and Community Engagement Coordinator at the Women’s Resource Centre, which is partnering with Brandon University and the YWCA to restart the event after a hiatus during the pandemic.
A junior advocate at the Women’s Resource Centre, Lucia Aguilar, told the Brandon Sun that intimate partner and family violence increased during COVID, and that recently there’s been a rise in violence targeting Brandon’s LGBTQ2S+ community. Aguilar believes this is due in part to issues at Brandon School Division, and the wrangling over books about gender-identity and sexual health.
‘Take Back The Night’ starts in Princess Park at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday evening, and at about 6 p.m., participants will march from the park to the Brandon University campus. On campus, a small resource fair and refreshments like hot chocolate and treats will await in the Mingling Area of the Knowles-Douglas Student Union Centre. The resource fair will include organizations like the YWCA, SERC, The Women’s Resource Centre, and Westman Teams Against Sexual Exploitation.
“‘Take Back The Night’ is the oldest worldwide movement to stand against sexual violence in all forms, dating to the 1970s, and we’re thrilled to bring it back,” said BU professor Dr. Kelly Saunders, who is also involved in organizing the event.
The march is open to everyone.
