Take Back the Night is a global movement dating back to at least 1975 that protests gender-based violence and more specifically, sexual violence, intimate partner violence, and human trafficking. Everyone has the right to safety, wherever they may be — whether at home, at work, on the street, or anywhere else.
Take Back the Night 2023 will be Thursday, September 14th at 6:00pm at the Aurora Town Park bandshell (49 Wells St.). Find out more about our first in-person event since 2019 on our participate page or check out the FAQs.
Updates related to Take Back the Night in York Region will also be posted on our social media accounts, and we hope to see you there! Visit us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or send us a message.
Take Back the Night in York Region
In York Region, our event is planned by the Take Back the Night Planning Committee, made up of community organizations and volunteers. We have more on the history of Take Back the Night in York Region on our FAQ page, and it’s important to mention that this event was first held in Anishinaabe communities on Georgina Island.
Our Vision
Our vision is a world free of all gender-based and sexual violence, where:
- survivors are given safety and support;
- survivors are believed, validated, and given resources and tools for their healing journeys;
- survivors feel empowered to share their stories on their own terms, in a way that meets their own needs and wants;
- services and supports are trauma-informed, diverse, and inclusive and accept the diversity of experience and reaction to trauma;
- advocacy, education, accountability, and justice are at forefront and social change is fought for with unyielding dedication.
Our current vision statement was written in 2022.
Our Mission
Take Back the Night York Region is an annual protest and demonstration of solidarity and support where we march, rally, and come together to speak out against and bring awareness to the prevalence of gender-based and sexual violence. We reclaim safety in our communities by creating space for survivors to share, sing, scream, express, or feel their stories with survivors and allies.
Through this event, we invite everyone to join the movement and build solidarity with us, and we encourage them to speak out and act against injustices in our communities. This night demonstrates the strength and power that survivors and their allies have to bring hope and change to our communities.
Our current mission statement was written in 2022.
Our Values
We hope to further develop our values statement after our 2022 event; for now, they are:
- Courage, Empowerment, Vulnerability
- Justice, Accountability, Honesty
- Community, Diversity, Inclusivity
- Empathy, Respect, Trauma-safety
Our current values statement was written in 2022.