Survivors of sexual assault and their supporters and allies will gather in downtown Peterborough in September for the 46th annual “Take Back the Night” event hosted by the Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre (KSAC).
“Take Back the Night is a global movement that started by talking about how women and gender-diverse folks around the world don’t feel safe walking alone at night,” said Jocelyn Enright, prevention education and community engagement coordinator at KSAC, in a recent interview with kawarthaNOW.
Take Back the Night 2026 will take place on Thursday, September 17 from 5 to 9 p.m. outside in the Peterborough Square Courtyard at the corner of Charlotte Street and Water Street.
A global movement with deep roots in Peterborough
“This year’s event theme is Our Voices, Our Strength, Our Community and serves as a reminder to uplift the voices of survivors, to remind survivors of the strength and control they have in their life, and that we are all stronger together as a community,” reads a media release.
KSAC is a local non-profit agency that provides various free supports for individuals aged over 16 of any gender. They host a 24/7 crisis support line, one-to-one counselling, group workshops, and participate in advocacy for survivors.
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.
Peterborough’s first Take Back the Night event was hosted in 1980 by KSAC that, at the time, was a volunteer-led community group called Peterborough Rape Relief. Just two years earlier, the Vancouver Rape Relief organization has held the first Take Back the Night event in Canada.
Enright said that, nearly five decades later, many people continue to feel unsafe walking alone, at night, or in secluded areas.
“Even to this day, what we hear from folks is that they don’t feel safe walking alone at night,” she said.
Survivors and advocates say that, historically, when their concerns are brought forward they are provided advice on how to change their behaviour to prevent risk and protect themselves. Enright said instead the focus should be on how to change the culture and response around sexual assault.
“Why are we putting the onus on the people who are most at risk, and why isn’t there more change happening?” Enright asks.
Community agencies and performers join evening program
This year’s event will consist of two sections, the first being a drop-in space with community agencies who support survivors sharing information about their services.
Key Take Back the Night partners will be in attendance including the YWCA Peterborough-Haliburton, Elizabeth Fry Society of Peterborough, Peterborough AIDS Resource Network (PARN), and Niijkiwendidaa Anishnaabekwewag Services Circle.
In addition to the core organizing team, Enright identified Peterborough Community Legal Centre and the Community Race Relations Committee as being in attendance at the event.
“We’re trying to build this community where we’re all connected and we all understand that one service is probably not going to be a one-stop shop for people,” said Enright.
Enright also said that KSAC will be providing poster- and sign-making supplies from 5 to 6:30 p.m. to enable people who do not have the opportunity or means to bring their own signs to the rally to be fully involved.
From 6:30 to 8 p.m. the formal program of local poets, singers, and performers will take place. Enright noted local Indigenous drumming group Naandewegaan (Healing With Drums) will be participating in the event.
Finally, the group will “take back the night” by participating in a candle-lit march through Peterborough’s downtown core, with signs and rally cries calling for change.
“It involves an evening event and a walk through the downtown streets to emulate walking alone at night,” said Enright.
Sexual assault statistics ‘only scratch the surface’
Take Back the Night continues to be a core event in KSAC’s annual calendar to bring awareness to the prevalence of sexual assault both in Peterborough and on a wider scale.
Enright cited data from Office of the Federal Ombudsperson for Victims of Crime which showed that in Canada, one in three women and one in six men will experience sexual violence within their lifetime.
However, she noted that this data often relies on police reports, which KSAC recognizes is an underrepresentation of assault rates due to barriers to reporting and a lack of adequate law enforcement response.
“Statistics give us a little bit of an idea, but they still only really scratch the surface,” Enright said.
According to data released by the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough, reported cases of sexual assault have increased in Peterborough since 2006 and remain above the provincial and national average.
For Enright, the continuation of Take Back the Night is an important demonstration of solidarity with survivors from the community at large and represents readiness for change.
“This event is so important because it brings together all different folks and you know that everybody there is there for the common cause. Whether they’re a survivor or not, they recognize what the problem is and they want to do something about it,” she said.
Prevention education aims to create cultural change
In addition to providing survivor services, KSAC also provides education and training on prevention to schools, community agencies, businesses, and many other organizations. This includes discussion of consent, healthy relationships, and human trafficking.
Enright said that prevention education plays an important role in building a positive culture from a young age, translating to fewer instances of sexual assault and fewer individuals needing survivor services.
“We often have to wait until a problem has happened, whereas we would like to talk to folks, and especially young folks, to try and create cultural change.”
In particular, Enright noted KSAC’s involvement with the Peterborough Petes as an important opportunity to connect with young men to discuss healthy masculinity, consent, and allyship.
“We have a really good relationship with the Petes, but we’re hoping to take that into some more minor sports in Peterborough,” said Enright.
KSAC has recently hired a part-time male allyship coordinator to support further outreach efforts.
Take Back the Night itself is open to people of all gender identities and welcomes male allies. However, Enright noted that KSAC will continue to centre the voices and lived experience of those most impacted by sexual assault and violence.
“We’re making sure that we’re doing these events keeping in mind that Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit folks are greatly impacted by sexual violence,” said Enright.
For more information about KSAC’s supports and services, visit kawarthasexualassaultcentre.com, email info@kawarthasac.ca, or call 705-748-5901.
