Women take the night back from any dangers
By Leanna Roy
Lance Writer
November 11, 2009
 Spirits were high on Friday night as protesters gathered at Dieppe Park to stop violence against women and children.
Women of all ages stormed through the downtown streets using bells, whistles and chants demanded their voices and struggles be heard.
And heard they were as pedestrians and passing cars did not hesitate to honk and cheer on the marching crowd.
The international event, originated in Germany in 1976 in response to violent acts against women, and has spread worldwide since then.
The march reached Windsor in 1994 but did not become an annual event until recent years, according to Charlene Senn, a professor at University of Windsor and keynote speaker at this year’s event.
The purpose of the march is to symbolize a woman's right to be out at night without the need of a male escort and without fear of violent male perpetrators.
Senn claims that “as with much of women's movement history, it's hard to trace our roots for this march precisely, much of what we do is documented on posters, flyers and buttons, and then discarded or lost over time,” and thus, a secondary purpose for this event is to “begin at the beginning” and propel a movement for women against violence.
“We demand change so that we can live in a society where our movements need not be constrained in fear of male violence against us,” claimed Senn in her opening speech.
Senn's demands include a world in which women can take the late shift at work, where women can study on campus at night, where women can stand or walk at any time or place without fear.
Senn wishes for a world in which women are not blamed for the acts of violence and abuse committed against them.
Senn states that “these are not crimes committed against us by strangers, but rather crimes committed by men we know.” Crimes, Senn states, that are committed in broad daylight.
“So we march tonight to also take back the day, to reclaim a safe place for women in all places and at all times.”
Senn also states that it is the responsibility of the able and privileged women of society to protect and fight for the women who are not.
“Women, like myself, must not make it easy for male predators to pick off the most vulnerable women among us. When we do this we are joining in a daily Take Back the Night march.”
“She is me and I am her, when you harm her, you harm me,” is the mentality that Senn would like all females to embrace in their daily lives in order to stop violence against women.
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