8 NEWS OVER THE EDGE NEWSPAPER. OCTOBER 27 , 2006 Four Grandmothers Preform at Take Back The Night ANNA GRADOWSKA STAFF WRITER On Friday September 22nd, Prince George was witness to the 15th annual Take Back the Night march. Women and children of all ages, races, and back- grounds filled into the Native Friend- ship Center at dusk and then took to the streets.of downtown Prince George in demonstration, In this international: march, people come together to protest sexual violence against women and chil- dren. ‘Thanks to the funding from the Min- istry of Community Services and the cooperation of many women's organ- izations, such as the UNBC Womens Centre, the PG Sexual Assault Centre, and many others, the march was a reality this year once again. At the Native Friendship Center, women who work with victims of sexual assault kicked off the march with mov- ing stories, poems, and speeches. Native representatives gave prayers, and the drumming group, Grandmother's of the Four Winds, performed a moving native song. After the moving words, the hun-. dred women and children in attendance moved outside to begin the march. The processional moved down central downtown, a chorus of women roaring slogans such as “take back the night, women unite” and “not the church, not the state, women must decide their fate’. With banners and flags in hand, the mass moved down through the streets, marching all the way down to the city hall on 3rd and back up through 2nd back to the Native Friendship Center. Nighttime onlookers gave support or looks of confusion, and the marchers stormed the streets sending echoes all through empty downtown core. The spirits were very high and the sense of empowerment was strong. I know from my personal experience of the march, walking through streets that would usu- _ ally be off limits was very powerful. By the time the march ended, there were shouts with triumph and support. “One-half of all Canadian women have experienced at least one incident of vio- lence since the age of 16.” At the reception, hosted by Men Against Violence Against Women, there: were more emotional speakers. Also, The AWAC shelter’s beautiful’ quilt (made by 28 underprivileged women) was shown and commended. All in all, the march was an empowering success. “I am very supportive of events like this” said writer Jacquelyn Baldwin, who was one of the guest speakers at the event, “I’ve been coming to this for 15 years and I truly believe that it makes a difference. It changes people's conscious- ness, bit it also creates a strength among the marchers that is unbelievable. I be- lieve that [the march] has grown strong- er. : The Take Back the Night (originally Reclaim the Night) marches started in 1976 in Belgium at the International Tribunal on Crimes Against Women. ‘The tradition quickly spread from there, into other parts of Europe and North America. Being a women and children’s only march, the event is quite symbolic. As the name describes, they come to “take back the night”. During this march, women walk the streets that would be dangerous without fear to protest their intimidation. The exemption of men from the march is to show that women can unite without the protection of men. Despite the need for support, in a march this symbolic, a male participant would defeat the purpose. Women and chil- dren live with the fear of sexual violence wherever they go, whether at night or day, or in the presence of strangers of friends. Statistics Canada has found that: -One-half of all Canadian women have experienced at least one incident of violence since the age of 16 -One in four Canadian women were victims of assault by a spouse or part- ner < -Four in ten Canadian women were victims of sexual assault. : -Of all the provinces, the highest rate of violence was reported by women in B.C. (59%) “This march personifies the strength of women and their intolerance towards violence against women and children’, remarked Dr. Eileen Owen-Williams, who was also a guest speaker at the march, Dr. Eileen Owen-Wilson is cur- rently an associate professor of the nurs- ing faculty who completed her doctorate of Nursing Practice'at the University of Tennessee in Forensic’ Nursing, with a focus on sexual assault this year. “Tt all came together beautifully,’ said Women of Prince George Take Back the Night ANNA GRADOWSKA Sara Noel-Boyd after the march. “It’s so “energizing to come and be in a group of women who all get it. It’s very powerful, you cant really put that into words” She also remarked, “there was a First Na- tions focus in Take Back the Highway, but what was nice [in Take Back the Night] was that happened.’ Hopefully, women will be able to once again gather in the dark streets of Prince George's downtown next year and once again proclaim that they refuse to be abused and intimidated. Er luck ERRIN WHITE CONTRIBUTER On September 12th, 2006 as | was walking home from work around 10pm, | was attacked, Some men in a dark coloured pickup decided that | deserved to have a full beer can thrown at me and to call me derogatory re- marks. When | got home, both my spouse and myself commented on that fact that | was lucky, Lucky - to not have been raped or worse, killed, like so many other women in our fine community. If that is not the most ironic use of the term lucky, | do not know. | don’t know how lucky | am to have a bruise on my legs and to feel fear walking alone at night on the streets that | help pay for. This feeling of fear is why events “Some men... decided that I deserved to have a full beer can thrown at me... like Take Back the Night and Take Back the Highway exist. We as women contribute or ae com- chose, “wehaut i wh to. worry about our safety. So | encourage pavesR sate tgp aad pei toate this Wind of behave 6 not funny and is not tolerated. And to keep the men who nce comments to yourself, because | will walk the streets hrertat choose to do so. *This article previously printed in the October 1.1 inane of Over the Edge. A Global Opportunity! Change the way you see the world. Are YOU ready? To discover other countries and other tagions of Canada? To learn what it maans to be an active, engaged global citizen? To ive and volunteer with people from other cultures? 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