Take back the night
Womyn from all over gather to end violence against women
MELISSA HIEBERT STAFF
PHOTO: MELISSA HIEBERT
The march, which was held in solidarity with numerous others all over the world, was led down Sargent to Main Street and ended at the Occidental Hotel. Onlookers came out from their houses to soak in the message, and cars ceaselessly honked to show their support. All the while, proud womyn blew on whistles and voiced chants of peace, confidently holding signs and banners with slogans such as “these are my streets” printed on them. There were also a number of men in attendance showing their support, as well as numerous children being taught at a young age that violence against womyn is something that should not be tolerated.
The march started out with traditional First Nations drumming and singing, along with a few speeches to set the tone. Author and poet Chandra Mayor started off by reading a piece she wrote, entitled “Feminism saved my life,” outlining her personal struggle against violence. The names of dozens of womyn who had been murdered were also read out loud.
“I wanted to save my life,” said Makos, 14, when asked why she chose to participate. “Women are life-givers, and no one should bother them like that. The violence has to stop and the peace has to make its way in.”
“I’ve been living and working in this neighbourhood for many many years,” added Marjorie, who was walking alongside Makos. “And I want to make it safe for the children, and the young women.”
All of the womyn who participated in the march had their own reasons. Some have been personally affected by violence. Some have had friends and family members who have been impacted by violence. All, however, had one thing in common: the underlying desire to unite with their fellow womyn to stop the violence and bring safety back to the streets.
“Being myself transgendered, I have experienced violence,” said Alexis, stating her reason for participating in the march. “Also, I’ve been impacted by the fact that I know people who have been affected by violence.”
Alexis said that one of those people was her own sister, who was murdered in Vancouver over 10 years ago.
“They still haven’t caught the killer, and chances are they are never going to,” said Alexis. “But that does not stop me from being vocal, and making a gesture and standing up and saying that we’re not going to take this anymore.”
“What the sad part is, is that
unfortunately it isn’t going to have
an impact on society unless they
too have been affected, unless their mothers unless their sisters, unless
their friends have been impacted by
violence. That’s when you stand up
and take notice. And hopefully by
participating in an event like this, we
can generate the awareness that it is
more common than people realize.”
One of the coordinators of the march, Sarah Granke, spoke out about her own reason for getting involved with the march as well. “I march because I may not have necessarily been affected directly by physical violence, but there is systemic violence out there, and emotional violence that we all face,” said Sarah. “As a woman, I feel it is necessary to show support and solidarity for other womyn.”
Sarah also hoped that the march would help send a message to womyn, both participants and observers. “I want women to take away a sense of empowerment and ownership and that we don’t need to be fearing when we walk out at night or in certain areas of the city, or in our homes,” stated Sarah. We shouldn’t have to be afraid of things like that and that is a right that all people should have.”
Violence against women is far too common. It happens everywhere, to everyone, and often we just accept it as a fact of life — inevitable. But it is not inevitable. And there are countless numbers of strong womyn out there that recognize this, that are fighting against this atrocity, and are slowly but surely winning. Perhaps one day we will really be able to take back the streets, and make every road safe for all women to travel down.
