The phrases “Reclaim The Night” and “Take Back the Night” refer to international marches and rallies intended as direct action and protests opposing forms of violence against women such as rape. It originated with the radical feminist movement.
The term “Take Back the Night” comes from the title of a memorial read by Anne Pride in 1977 at a Pittsburgh anti-violence rally. The first march of “Reclaim the Night” was held in 1976 in Belgium by the women attending the International Tribunal on Crimes Against Women. The women marched together in solidarity, holding candles to protest the ways in which violence permeates the lives of women globally.
Events usually consist of a rally, followed by a march, and often finished with a candlelight vigil or speak-out on violence against women. The marches are often intentionally women-only, in order to symbolize women’s individual walk through darkness, and to demonstrate that united women can resist violence and fear. (Other marches include men; the organization differs as each event is organized locally.)
In agreement with TBTN, this blog adamantly opposes violence against women. It tears my heart apart to think of preventable suffering inflicted on women by other human beings, including the nearly 100,000 rapes that take place in the U.S. yearly. See: Self-Defense: End Victimization! and Tools For Self-Defense Strategy. I have included the following links about TBTN:
Take Back the Night at James Madison University
