Take Back the Night rally on tonight in Brampton as violence against women increases

Brampton | Community | Crime |

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Published September 29, 2022 at 12:31 pm

take back the night

As violence against women continues and grows, the Take Back the Night rally happens tonight in Brampton.

The rally, organized by the Peel Committee Against Abuse, starts at 5 p.m. tonight (Sept. 29) in Ken Whillans Square, 2 Wellington St. W. in Brampton.

There will be opening remarks, an Indigenous ceremony opening, speeches, community booths and sign-making followed by a march at 7:15 p.m.

“Take Back the Night is an important event as it brings the community together to take a stand against sexual violence, to raise awareness about the systems that perpetuate violence, and to discuss ways we can work together to make the night safe for everyone,” said Sabrina Wisson, office coordinator for Embrave: Agency to End Violence, in a tweet.

The first Take Back the Night march in the U.S. was held in San Francisco in 1978 to protest violence against women, particularly sexual assault. There were similar rallies in England.

The rally comes as violence against women continues to grow.

This month, a woman was murdered in a Canadian Tire store in Mississauga. Police charged her husband with first degree murder.

This was the fourth woman murdered in Peel Region this year, according to a press release from Embrave: Agency to End Violence. A 23-year-old woman was killed in January, a 29-year-old woman in June, and a 46-year-old woman in August.

On average, there are three femicides (the intentional killing of women or girls because they are female) a month in Ontario. But this August, there were six. There was also a 53 per cent increase in femicides in 2021 compared to 2020.

Those joining the rally can bring a red umbrella to demonstrate support of sex worker safety. Sex workers face higher rates of sexual violence and experience systemic barriers to accessing supports.

Organizers recommend parking in the City Hall underground garage.

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