Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre (KSAC) is planning to “Take Back the Night” in downtown Peterborough this fall with the intent to “shatter the silence” around sexual violence.
The Peterborough/Nogojiwanong organization hosts its 46th annual Take Back the Night event on Thursday, September 19 in the Peterborough Square courtyard at the corner of Water and Charlotte streets.
In addition to a rally and march, there will be live music performances, a poetry reading, and speeches.
The event is tentatively planned to run from 3 to 9 p.m. It will start with tabling from local organizations and vendors and then move into programming before the march. KSAC asks community members to stay tuned to its social media channels, including the Facebook event page, for more details and a schedule for the event.
Jocelyn Enright, KSAC’s communications, community engagement and fundraising co-ordinator, shared with kawarthaNOW her hopes for this year’s event.
“I think the greatest thing would be for us to reach as many people as possible, both to spread awareness about what supports are available in Nogojiwanong for survivors, but also to make people aware of how prevalent sexual violence still is in society and encourage them to advocate for more support for sexual assault centres,” Enright said.
“We know the statistics are staggering with one in three women, one in two transgender and gender-diverse folks, and one in six men experiencing sexual violence in their lifetime. What I really hope, is this event does speak to the most privileged members of society — that even if you’ve never experienced sexual violence, it is 100 per cent a fact that someone you know and are close to has experienced it.”
Many sexual assault centres haven’t seen core funding increases since the 1990s, Enright noted, including KSAC.
“KSAC is incredibly underfunded — we can usually only see 25 per cent of survivors on our waitlist for services at a time. We hope this event speaks to those who hold more power and privilege who can make a huge difference by donating to our centre, or advocating for our needs on bigger stages than we can.”
When asked about the significance of the event being held for so many decades, Enright said, “the fact that we’ve held this event for so long speaks to the power of community here in Nogojiwanong, and highlights how important it is to have events and platforms for people to share their stories and be reminded they are not alone.
“We’re so mindful that these are incredibly difficult topics to discuss, and we want first and foremost this event to make survivors feel heard, seen, and as safe as possible in the space we’ve set up. People look forward to this event happening every year and it’s something all of us at KSAC treasure.”
Enright said the event offers a poignant reminder of the reason behind KSAC’s work in the community.
“Every survivor has a story, and whether that’s a story they’ve shared or one that they’ve kept for themselves, we want to honour and hold space for everyone.”
She said KSAC operates around the framework of “survivors’ first” and that’s also the message it hopes to share through events like Take Back The Night.
“Forty-six years is a long time, but we still have a long way to go. While sexual violence continues to happen to the most marginalized folks in our communities, we’ll continue the fight advocating for change.”
KSAC aims to offer healing, safety, and support to those affected by sexual violence and harm and strives to end sexual violence through prevention education within the communities it serves in Peterborough, Northumberland and Haliburton counties, and in the Kawartha Lakes.
The organization offers a crisis support line, which is a confidential service available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including weekends and holidays. The toll-tree phone number is 1-866-298-7778. KSAC also offers support through counselling, groups and workshops for survivors who are aged 16 and older.
For more information about KSAC services and to learn more about its advocacy efforts and prevention education, visit kawarthasexualassaultcentre.com.
The oldest worldwide movement to stand against sexual violence, “Take Back the Night” began in the 1970s with a tribunal council meeting in Belgium attended by over 2,000 women representing more than 40 countries.
Early activists protested the lack of safety for women, including when walking down the street alone at night. One of the first “Take Back the Night” events was held in 1972, when a group of women at the University of Southern Florida donned witches’ brooms and black capes and marched through campus to demand resources and safety for women.
For more information, visit takebackthenight.org.
