Dozens of people marched through the darkness in downtown Lethbridge to support the end of gender-based violence.
Take Back the Night, a protest for sexual and domestic violence, was hosted by the Lethbridge YWCA on Oct. 18.
The name, Take Back the Night, has been used in demonstrations for 50 years, with 36 countries around the world holding protests.
Nancy Leggett, YWCA development and communications manager, oversaw the protest.
She says that supporting Take Back the Night is as simple as showing up and participating.
“Well, come out. Grab a poster, do some chants, make some noise. The whole point is to get people to ask questions about what we’re doing and why we’re doing it,” said Leggett.
ADVERTISEMENT
According to Leggett, ending violence starts with all of us and we should speak up and stand up for people dealing with abusive and violent situations.
The march started and ended at Lethbridge City Hall, where several YWCA staff and volunteers handed out signs and glowsticks to protestors.
Take Back the Night events started in the 1960’s in Belgium and England with protests regarding women not being safe walking down the street after dark.
Since then, hundreds of events have popped up worldwide on college campuses and communities of all sizes.
Today, the Take Back the Night Foundation organizes and participates globally, with thousands of supporters working tirelessly to provide resources, funding, and healing.
The foundation even assists in legal avenues, with victims’ rights attorneys providing legal assistance to survivors of sexual violence.
Mikala Dalton, a Lethbridge resident, believes events like Take Back the Night can help stop violence.
“Violence is something that plagues every community and there’s all sorts of different types, so I just wanted to show support and hopefully start to end violence and have a conversation about it,” she said.
The YWCA offers programs and shelter for women attempting to leave abusive and violent situations including Harbour House and counselling.
The Chinook Sexual Assault Centre offers similar assistance, with a focus on sexual violence.
Both the YWCA and CSAC services are free of charge for anybody that requires them.
If you or someone you know needs help, call the YWCA crisis hotline at 403-320-1881 or toll-free at 1-866-296-0447.
