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History Women Take Back the Night is an international event, with marches and rallies occurring around the world since 1976. In that year, in Belgium, women attending the International Tribunal on Crimes Against Women walked together holding candles to protest the ways in which violence permeates the lives of women worldwide. The highlight of Take Back the Night is the "candlelight" march, which will take place at the Belk Tower. As part of the worldwide movement to "take back the night," women will walk without fear through the night and reclaim the streets, which for many years have been sources of fear and violence. Another significant aspect of Take Back the Night is the survivor testimonials. This serves as a safe place for survivors of sexual violence to come forward with testimonials, often sharing their experiences for the first time. The purpose of this year's Take Back the Night is to create an atmosphere of zero tolerance of violence against women by: * Increasing community awareness of issues of violence against women, and its interrelationship with all other forms of discrimination; * Educating ourselves and others about the extent and the nature of the violence that is systematically used against women to keep us from becoming powerful, autonomous individuals; Honoring the memory of the victims of violence against women and celebrating its survivors; * Serving as a collective voice for women to demand a world in which women's bodies, minds and souls are not targets of violence; * Empowering individual men and women to take direct action against violence, whether it be through speaking out, lobbying, voting or some other form of activism; * Providing the leadership to challenge organizations and institutions to implement policies and initiatives which are effective in addressing issues of violence against women. The Clothesline Project consists of t-shirts, each of which depicts an act of violence against a woman. The project educates, documents and raises society's awareness of the magnitude of violence against women. Shirts and materials will be available for participants to decorate, beginning at Noon. By creating and hanging their shirt out in the open, women can leave behind some of the pain and begin the healing process. The Clothesline itself symbolizes a lifeline to help survivors join together in support of one another. It is also a way of airing society's "dirty laundry." Most importantly, the compelling display celebrates women's strength and courage to overcome the past. |
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History of Take Back the Night
Domestic Violence Statistics Links Home Program Contact Alyssa Ellithorpe 687-3899 or Angela Haigler @ |
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and the Campus Activities Board (CAB) The focus is on building self-esteem, identifying abusers, teaching self-defense techniques and commemorating the strength of survivors.  Student Life : Take Back the Night : |
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