WHO WE ARE
What is Reclaim the Night?
‘Reclaim the Night Brisbane’ brings women together to take a stand and march against male violence. Sexual violence is a gendered crime overwhelmingly perpetrated by men against women and children. We stand together as women, without the presence of men, to create a safe space to bear witness to how women’s lives are affected and forcibly restricted by sexual violence.
"We believe you"
At this year’s Reclaim the Night Brisbane 2019 we stand with survivors of sexual violence and say “We Believe You”. 1 in 3 women experience sexual violence in their lifetime, however, these experiences are vastly underreported. ‘We believe you’ addresses a pervasive cultural attitude in not believing women when they disclose their experience of sexual violence. Many women have attempted to find justice through reporting and have not been believed. Many women choose not to report or disclose to friends and family due to unhelpful messages from their communities, friends and family, the police and the justice system. Messages include minimizing their experience and the trauma they might have sustained and victim blaming - indicating that they might be somehow to blame for a crime committed against them. We know that sexual assault occurs within the context of power, intimidation, coercion and violence - and therefore a survivor’s response and act of resistance in that moment is to just survive - even if that meant acting 'passive'.
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Together we can transform the way we respond to disclosures, work towards changing the narrative and foster a safer community. Together we can call out the institutions that silence and dismiss survivors. It starts by believing and it starts with you.
Why we march
It's simple: we want to tear down the patriarchy! Reclaim the Night is a women’s rally and march that demands the end of male violence against women. On October 25th, we band together and take our voice to the streets to make noise, be seen and be heard. Reclaim the Night will always be a platform for women to agitate change. Our patriarchal system belittles women’s disclosures of sexual violence to keep men in positions of power. The simple words ‘we believe you’ are rooted in our connection with each other’s stories and our rejection of male control and domination.
Join us!
All women regardless of sexuality, ethnicity, culture, religion, class, political and diverse perspectives are welcome and encouraged to join us to march together towards the liberation of women against male violence. All women have the right to safety and to live free from violence. You are not alone in your experiences and your voice is not alone in demanding change. Together we can make a difference.
Join us October 25th 2019.