Take Back the Night- Allies March
Dear allies of the women’s community,
For the past couple months, the Dalhousie Women’s Centre and the Take Back the Night organizing committee have been working hard in planning the annual Take Back the Night rally and march for Friday, September 29th 2006. Throughout our planning meetings, the subject of how to include men and other allies who support women’s right to march, women’s right to security, and activism against violence against women, was explored. Our conclusion: it is critical toward ending gender-based violence to include allies and supporters of women in the Take Back the Night march in order to foster a community of inclusion and support, and to bring an end to violence against women and children.
Violence against women – the act of targeting women as victims of violence specifically because they are women –persists throughout our region, our country, and our world. Indeed, the murder of women by their intimate partners, rape, child pornography and abuse, domestic violence and harassment are a continuing, daily reality for Atlantic Canadian women. Take Back the Night is the night to bring attention to the social change urgently required to empower and bring justice to women and children.
This year, women and their supporters will meet at Victoria Park (corner of Spring Garden Road and South Park Street) for 7 p.m. where a rally will be held. Speakers, performers, radical cheerleaders and poetry will pump up the crowd. After the scheduled program, women and children will march through the streets of downtown Halifax, passing the Citadel Hill, downtown bars, the Palace and the HRM Police Station. This march assertively reclaims the right for women to walk independently, and free from violence, rape, shouting obscenities, oppression and fear. After the march, there will be a reception at the Micmac Native Friendship Centre with a healing ritual and a vegetarian serving.
We are encouraging people of all genders to take part in an ‘allies march’ that will follow behind the women’s march. The allies march is intended as a means for social justice/feminist positive allies to meet, foster, and encourage additional feminist activism. The allies will show solidarity to those women marching by carrying signs and banners expressing the right for women to walk the streets at any time, day or night. Small tea lights will be made available (while supplies last), but feel free to bring your own light for the march. Bring family, friends, pets--all welcome!
The planning committee is calling for community groups to encourage their members to take part in the TBtN rally and march. We would also encourage you to attend the pre-party that will be taking place on September 22nd at the Dalhousie Women’s Centre (6286 South Street). The pre-party will give people a chance to make banners, signs, and other visuals for the march.
There are also opportunities for community groups to make or provide information on gender-based violence to be displayed in the Dalhousie Student Union Building during our tabling efforts over the next week.
If you would like to learn more about how you can get involved with the march or require posters please contact: dwc@dal.ca.
Or check out or webpage: womenscentre.dsu.dal.ca
Sincerely,
Take Back the Night Planning Collective
For the past couple months, the Dalhousie Women’s Centre and the Take Back the Night organizing committee have been working hard in planning the annual Take Back the Night rally and march for Friday, September 29th 2006. Throughout our planning meetings, the subject of how to include men and other allies who support women’s right to march, women’s right to security, and activism against violence against women, was explored. Our conclusion: it is critical toward ending gender-based violence to include allies and supporters of women in the Take Back the Night march in order to foster a community of inclusion and support, and to bring an end to violence against women and children.
Violence against women – the act of targeting women as victims of violence specifically because they are women –persists throughout our region, our country, and our world. Indeed, the murder of women by their intimate partners, rape, child pornography and abuse, domestic violence and harassment are a continuing, daily reality for Atlantic Canadian women. Take Back the Night is the night to bring attention to the social change urgently required to empower and bring justice to women and children.
This year, women and their supporters will meet at Victoria Park (corner of Spring Garden Road and South Park Street) for 7 p.m. where a rally will be held. Speakers, performers, radical cheerleaders and poetry will pump up the crowd. After the scheduled program, women and children will march through the streets of downtown Halifax, passing the Citadel Hill, downtown bars, the Palace and the HRM Police Station. This march assertively reclaims the right for women to walk independently, and free from violence, rape, shouting obscenities, oppression and fear. After the march, there will be a reception at the Micmac Native Friendship Centre with a healing ritual and a vegetarian serving.
We are encouraging people of all genders to take part in an ‘allies march’ that will follow behind the women’s march. The allies march is intended as a means for social justice/feminist positive allies to meet, foster, and encourage additional feminist activism. The allies will show solidarity to those women marching by carrying signs and banners expressing the right for women to walk the streets at any time, day or night. Small tea lights will be made available (while supplies last), but feel free to bring your own light for the march. Bring family, friends, pets--all welcome!
The planning committee is calling for community groups to encourage their members to take part in the TBtN rally and march. We would also encourage you to attend the pre-party that will be taking place on September 22nd at the Dalhousie Women’s Centre (6286 South Street). The pre-party will give people a chance to make banners, signs, and other visuals for the march.
There are also opportunities for community groups to make or provide information on gender-based violence to be displayed in the Dalhousie Student Union Building during our tabling efforts over the next week.
If you would like to learn more about how you can get involved with the march or require posters please contact: dwc@dal.ca.
Or check out or webpage: womenscentre.dsu.dal.ca
Sincerely,
Take Back the Night Planning Collective
posted by SMU Women's Centre @ 6:04 a.m.
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