Take Back the Night is a feminist event that includes a rally, march, and candlelight vigil to raise awareness about violence against women. It originated in Belgium in 1976 and spread to the United States in 1978. The goal is to educate people about violence against women and encourage a culture that does not condone it. Some marches are for women only, while others welcome men and children. Some communities organize marches in response to specific incidents.
Take Back the Night is a feminist event that begins with a rally including speeches and performances and concludes with a march and candlelight vigil. Throughout the United States and Europe, local Take Back the Night events are held on college campuses and throughout the city to highlight the issue of violence against women. For attendees, the event can be inspiring, educational and encouraging, and observers will hopefully come away from the experience with more empathy for women’s issues.
The roots of Take Back the Night can be found in 1976 when women took to the streets of Belgium in a Reclaim the Night march. The women were angry at the growing incidence of rape and violence against women, and wanted to symbolically reclaim the night, shedding light on a serious issue and also asserting their right to move around safely and freely at night. Women marched with candles and held a rally that included speeches by prominent women’s rights activists, and other European cities quickly followed suit.
In the United States, the first recognized Take Back the Night March occurred in San Francisco in 1978 when activists marched through the Tenderloin, where most of the strip clubs and adult entertainment businesses are located. Many of those activists were protesting porn in particular and violence against women in general, in the belief that pornography was degrading to women. Activists from other American communities have sponsored other Take Back the Night marches as well, and many of these local marches are held on an annual basis.
When held annually, the goal of a Take Back the Night rally and march is to educate people about violence against women. Women are more likely to be victims of rape and domestic violence, and these issues are often not discussed in popular society. The marches force observers to address issues and hopefully encourage a culture that will not condone violence against women. Some of these marches are for women only, while others recognize the harm caused by the cycle of violence and address violence for all people, not just women, while also welcoming men and children in the Take Back the Night march.
Sometimes, a community may even organize a Take Back the Night march in response to a specific incident, such as a string of violent sex crimes. These marches tend to take the form of vigils and include more commemorations for specific victims, rather than women in general. The primary intention, that of making the population reflect on the issue of violence in their own community, remains the same.
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