Take Back the Night is in its 39th year in Waterloo region with some participants saying it means a lot to see the community come together to show their support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.
Take Back the Night was held on Thursday night and organized by the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region.
“There are a lot of folks sitting on a waitlist waiting for support, so it makes it more important than ever to have folks come out to support survivors and our center,” said Sarah Wiley, public education coordinator at the Sexual Assault Support Centre Waterloo Region.
Wiley said over the last two years during the pandemic the centre has received a spike in crisis calls and requests for service, making this event that much more important.
"I want to be seen, I want our message to be heard, and I want us all to feel empowered," said Lori Ingram, a housing support worker for Indwell. "As a mother of two daughters it's important to me to empower our children that no is no.
"No is a very powerful word, but it's not just for women. No is no to men as well. It's not only women that are violated and hurt, but also men too."
Some participants began arriving around 5 p.m. to begin making signs to show their support and visit community partner booths.
The march started at Gaukel Street and made its way through downtown Kitchener.
There were 10 community organizations that attended the event to provide information and resources about sexual and gender-based violence.
Organizers say while women, children and trans people are most likely to experience sexual and gender-based violence, it affects everyone in the community, and the entire community needs to be part of the solution.
The march is a global movement with roots in 1970s England, when some restrictions were placed on women and children to counter sexual assaults.
