Women Unite, Take Back The Night!
This chant will be heard throughout downtown Prince George Friday night.
"We want people to bring their loud voices and chanting spirits with them," said event organizer Jillien Humphrey of Surpassing Our Survival Society.
The 20th annual rally starts at 7 p.m. at City Hall with a performance by the Rainbow Dancers and a few keynote speakers. Then the women and children will take a short walk around the downtown core of the city, returning to the lawn at City Hall for a reception hosted by the Warriors Against Family Violence.
Everyone is welcome to attend. There's about 200 people that attend the event each year and the same number is expected this year.
"At this time, it's still a women and children's march but men can be there in a supportive role," said Humphrey. "Men can wait at City Hall or they can cheer us on from the sidewalks but the route for Take Back The Night is for women to walk the streets without a male protector and to feel safe and to do that on their own."
New this year is the participation of the We Can Campaign that promotes the end of all violence towards women where people can make a pledge not to commit violence against women and to talk to five people about ending violence.
"It's about being a change maker and trying to get the word out," said Humphrey.
Tom Wainwright of the John Howard Society will speak to the issue during the Take Back The Night event.
"We want people to be really excited about doing the march," said Humphrey.
To generate more enthusiasm there have been weekly activities at various women's societies like AWAC, New Hope Society and Phoenix Transition House.
The women have been attending activism art workshops, making signs, bandanas and pillowcases where the decoration and words are used to show empowerment.
"People can also show up early at the march and make their own pillowcase or bandana," said Humphrey. "It's pretty neat actually, the women are really getting excited getting the word out about stopping violence."
Humphrey said it's harder to get youth involved in the march and she's inviting the younger generation to join the adults at the march.
"The Take Back The Night event is a very supportive and welcoming environment," she added.
For more information call Humphrey at 250-564-8302 or e-mail [email protected].
