We’ve included our most-asked questions below, but if you don’t find your answer here, feel free to contact us!
To see the answers to our frequently asked questions, click on the question and its answer will expand!
Take Back the Night 2022 is going to be held virtually, through a Youtube livestream. The planning committee carefully looked at the options for this year’s event and we decided that this would be the safest way to involve the most people. To learn more, check out our livestream page.
Take Back the Night is an internationally held rally and protest against the prevalence of gender-based, intimate partner, and sexual violence.
The aim of our event in York Region is multi-faceted –
- to speak out against and bring awareness to gender-based and sexual violence;
- to reclaim safety in our communities no matter the time of day;
- to create a safer and more supportive space for survivors to come together with fellow surivors and allies; and
- to be visible, inviting everyone to join the movement, building solidarity, and speaking out against injustitice in our communities.
Sexual violence is horrifically common in our communities and we must take a stand. We know that in Canada, at least 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men will experience sexual violence in their lifetimes. We also know that members of the 2SLBGTQIA+ community are at least three times as likely to experience sexual violence. Disabled, Black, and racialized people are at least twice as likely and Indigenous women are at least three times as likely to experience sexual violence.
Many of us who are at higher risk of violence have adapted and fought to cope with this risk by staying in groups, avoiding being alone or out late, and watching out for each other in public. We cope and protect each other, though we shouldn’t have to, and we are often blamed for the violence used against us nonetheless.
Most of us who have experienced gender-based and sexual violence have experienced it at the hands of intimate partners, friends, and others we already knew. Through Take Back the Night, we tell our communities that it is not enough for us to reclaim the streets or the night, but we will reclaim our safety everywhere and make it clear that we will not stand for this any more.
The first Take Back the Night (TBTN) in York Region that the planning committee is aware of was in 1998.
When we look back at Take Back the Night in York Region, it’s important to mention that this event was first held in Anishinaabe communities on Georgina Island. Since then, the event was held in Newmarket for many years before being held in Richmond Hill in 2019; both locations are significantly more difficult to access for those living on Georgina Island.
Indigenous women are at least three times more likely to experience sexual violence than the average non-Indigenous woman. Indigenous people are more often ignored or harmed by police when reporting sexual and gender-based violence and face higher rates of re-victimization after surviving violence. Indigenous people’s experiences of sexual violence are compounded by experiences of systemic violence that is the legacy of colonialism and the result of continued racism and cultural genocide.
As a planning committee, we recognize that the appropriation of this event in York Region was colonial and unjust; we aim to make steps towards reconcilation and centre Indigenous voices in our events.
For more information on the general history of Take Back the Night, check out the Take Back the Night Foundation website.
All genders are welcome at Take Back the Night York Region!
We are fully inclusive of all genders. And yes, to be clear, we do include cisgender men in Take Back the Night.
As a committee, we realize that overcoming gender-based violence cannot happen if we do not include everyone in the process. This is not just a women’s or gender non-conforming people’s issue. This is a community issue; a human rights issue! We must stand up as a whole and make it clear that none of us will tolerate this anymore.
We also hope that as more cis men join our fight against gender-based violence, they can encourage even more men to join us and model a more helpful and healthy model of masculinity for men and boys.
We hope to see you there!
We aim for our event to be as accessible as possible! This year’s event is virtual, which we hope will make it even more accessible than we were able to be in previous years.
If you have any specific accessibility concerns or questions, we would love to hear from you. You can send us an email or give us a call at (905) 895-3646.
Whose body? My body.
Whose business? My business.
My body, my business. My body, it’s my businessClaim our bodies / Claim our rights
Take a stand / Take Back the Night!1, 2, 3, 4 / We won’t take it anymore
5, 6, 7, 8 / Stop the violence / Stop the hateYes means yes / No means no
Whatever we wear / Where ever we go!Our event is planned by the Take Back the Night Planning Committee, made up of community organizations and volunteers. To see who is sitting on this year’s Planning Committee, visit our Contributors page!
Take Back the Night is not a core-funded initiative. All funds are raised!
If you are interested in offering a contribution to TBTN, please know all donations over $20 in value can be issued a tax receipt. Feel free to see more about how to donate, send us a message, or give us a call at (905) 895-3646!
