Take Back the Night

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Take Back the Night

Description

Take Back the Night is an annual march that unites women, men and children, as feminists, contesting violence against women. The march often takes place in the darkness and when it originally began, it was open to women only in order to emphasize the idea that women, when united, are strong and can stand together against rape and other forms of violence against women. However, now the march serves to stand up against any violence committed against any person(s). The first Take Back the Night rally took place in Germany and the first one in the United States took place in California. One woman in describing her experiences with the Take Back the Night rally stated

"Take Back the Night was inspiring both on a personal level -- all these folks were out here because of something I did, something I organized -- willing to come and stand in the cold and try to light candles in the wind. That ... show[s] you you're not alone in this struggle. The other thing that was really rewarding was the Survivor Speak-Out afterward. As depressing and heartbreaking as that is, it could also be really energizing because you're helping to play a part in the recovery of survivors. I've always gone to the Speak-Out afterward because it reminds me why I'm involved with this stuff at all."
(Gold and Villari, 2000, p.19)