29-10-2021 (6:30 - 7:30)
Albany Town Square
Club
SI Albany is pleased to collaborate with the Albany Family & Domestic Violence Action Group along with Anglicare WA, Southern Aboriginal Corporation and the Albany Women's Centre Kare Kits
What is Reclaim the Night?
RTN is a global women’s protest against men’s violence towards women (and more recently has included children), held on the last Friday in October each year. It started out as a protest specifically relating to sexual violence towards women; however this has evolved in some areas to include all forms of men’s violence towards both women and children.
RTN provides a forum for women to declare that they have a right not to be blamed for what they wear or how they act. Nor should women be subjected to harassment and violence, either on the street or in their homes.
Originally RTN was a women only event, organised solely by women and men were not allowed to be present, with the aim of making it a “safe place” for women. Over time this has changed in some parts of the world, with men now being encouraged to participate in all aspects of the event.
The Reclaim the Night march gives women a voice and a chance to reclaim the streets at night on a safe and empowering event. We aim to put the issue of our safety on the agenda for this night and every day.
What about violence against men?
Recent research has shown there has been a decrease in the understanding that it is mostly men who perpetrate domestic violence.
Whilst men can be victims of FDV, evidence shows that a vast majority of victims are women. Women are five times more likely than men to experience violence in their own home and 95% of violence against women is perpetrated by men, usually known to them. Men are more likely to experience violence from a stranger, outside of the home.
For this reason FDV prevention efforts are very much prioritised on preventing violence against women. The approach is similar to breast cancer prevention which is focussed on women, whilst acknowledging that men can also suffer from the disease.
It is extremely important to remember that Reclaim the Night provides a way for women and children survivors of sexual assault and violence to positively work through what has happened to them. It also provides a protest forum for other members of the community to publicly stand in solidarity with women survivors.
The Reclaim the Night march gives women a voice and a chance to reclaim the streets at night on a safe and empowering event. We aim to put the issue of our safety on the agenda for this night and every day.
In 2021, Albany RTN demands:
An end to all forms of violence against women and children;
That no means no, regardless of race, religion, class, age, sexual orientation, sex or gender identity;
Increased support for survivors of Family and Domestic violence;Increased community awareness that violence against women and children is much more than just physical. It includes verbal, emotional, psychological, social and financial violence.
