By: Wesley Petite
Hundreds of people called for an end to gender-based violence during Ottawa’s annual Take Back the Night march on Sept. 26.
Organized by the Women’s Event Network, community groups joined student associations and individuals from numerous backgrounds, genders, and experiences in the ByWard Market calling for justice.
“Gender-based violence is still a major problem in our society, ” said Carleton graduate student Justine De Jagher.
“It’s great to get so many people out just to recognize that this is an issue and that we really need to organize around it.”
Approximately 200 people participated in the march.
The march began at Minto Park and ended with invigorating energy at an info fair held inside City Hall. The post-march get-together featured community groups including Sexual Assault Support Centre of Ottawa (SASC), Interval House, and Carleton University Womyn’s Centre.
Participants of the march stated a range of different personal reasons for attending.
For some, it was to reclaim space, while others described it as a “ritual.”
According to participant Leanorra Smith, the march helps create “a sense of solidarity, and a presence in the community. The effect that has on people on the side of the street watching, for me, is the most important part.”
Concillia Muonde from SASC said, “the reason we do Take Back the Night is to raise awareness,” before adding that, “the sad part is that we still have to do this after 35 years.”
The Take Back the Night movement that was originally organized in Philadelphia in 1975 in response to the murder of Susan Alexander Speech.
Speech died after being stabbed by a stranger while walking home one night and her death was attributed to gender-based violence.
Rather than refer to those who have experienced sexual violence as “victims,” a label which connotes passivity and weakness, many participants use and feel empowered by referring to those who have experienced such violence as “survivors.”
It became obvious that the march wasn’t so much about fighting back as it was about letting survivors know they are not alone.
“We see women after abuse happens, so we made a commitment, as an organization, to education” explained Lula Adam, Public Educator for Interval House of Ottawa.
For Adam, “Take Back the Night is a great way to say, yes, abuse is still happening.”
By being out in the open, the march is a beacon of support for those suffering sexual and gender-based abuse.
Participant Ash Hunkin spoke passionately about how “a lot of what happens around sexualized violence is [about] silencing and feeling like you’re the only one.”
The humiliation that often goes along with abuse can discourage a survivor from seeking out help. This can lead to tragic results.
Hunkin also mentioned how she “was really impressed this year that there was no segregating the crowd.”
A cisgendered, heterosexual male may want to show support even though the event is thought to be symbolic struggle of women and sexual minorities.
Muonde explained “a lot of times we ask men to march at the back just so that they respect the space that women are in.”
However, this year’s march was a blended crowd of hopeful and determined faces. Many looked to support, not gender, to determine participation in the march.
The march is a statement about much more than the inability for women to feel comfortable walking home at night. Participants frequently mentioned a concern for all genders, children, and the homeless.
Participant Dillon Black said, “we need to bring in more nuance in the conversation. Every gender is affected by violence and structures of oppression, so it’s about recognizing everyone’s voices.”
This article first appeared in the Leveller Vol. 6, No. 2 (Oct 2013).
