Take Back the Night

Amelia Rising Sexual Violence Support Centre is inviting you to this year’s Take Back the Night 2021: Shedding Light on Gender-Based Violence event. This event will be happening September 16th, at 7:00PM. Take Back the Night began in the 70’s as a street march hosted in solidarity and protest against street violence and harassment. This year to keep our community safe and in respect to gathering limits, we will be hosting a virtual Live Stream featuring Amelia Rising staff and guest speakers. In addition to the Live Stream, we are inviting Nipissing District community members and businesses to participate in Take Back the Night by displaying a luminaire in their walkway/ front window to Light Up the Night Together. Anyone who wishes to share a photo of their luminaire will be entered for a chance to win one of the donated prizes. Free luminaire kits will be provided to any interested community members.
Why Take Back The Night?
Gender-based violence has been its own pandemic prior to COVID-19. However, with at-home orders, and service restrictions, there has been an increasing number of gender-based violence within the home. Survivors have also been isolated from loved ones, service providers and key supports. Take Back the Night is an opportunity to bring light to this hidden pandemic, donations for free support & education services, and to show solidarity/ allyship within Nipissing District. 
1 in 3 women/ girls, 1 in 2 trans-people, and 1 in 4 boys/ men have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime. The rate of sexual assault for Canadians aged 15 to 24 is 18 times higher than that of Canadians aged 55 and older. It is estimated that numbers for all instances sexual and/ or gender-based violence are underreported due to barriers and stigma associated with reporting (The World Health Organization, National Sexual Violence Resource Centre, and Rainbow Youth Ontario).
Amelia Rising Sexual Violence Support Centre invites you to learn, ask questions and connect with the community. Any financial donations made to Take Back the Night 2021: Shedding Light on Gender-Based Violence will be used to support survivors in the Nipissing District by providing free counselling services and violence prevention education within our community.
If you are interested in learning more or donating, please contact Kylee Bakowski (she/her) at [email protected] by September 9th, 2021.
 
Sincerely,
The Public Education Team at Amelia Rising Sexual Violence Support Centre
Kylee Bakowski (she/her), Public Education Coordinator
Natalie Austin (she/her), Public Educator
Taylor Desormeau (she/her), Sexual Violence Prevention Educator