Reclaim the Park Lantern March, Murwillumbah

31st October 2008

5pm - 6pm

Departing from 16 Prince Street, Murwillumbah

MORE DETAILS HERE

Reclaim the Park Lantern March is an opportunity for communities to work together to address issues of sexual violence against women and children. The Lantern March will depart at 5.00pm from 16 Prince Street, Murwillumbah.

Tweed Shire Women's Service is dedicated to Reclaim the night and its aims to

  • protest that many women and children live in fear of male sexual violence
  • facilitate discussion and encourage a community response to violence against women and children
  • celebrate women's strength and survival in a world where violence happens so often
  • work towards a safer society for everyone.

Reclaim the Park

Reclaim the Night is organized by women around the world each year to raise community awareness of sexual violence against women and children. Reclaim the Night represents a claim for women's and children's basic human right to live in freedom from discrimination and fear of violence. The need for Reclaim the Night is evident in research into the gendered nature of sexual and domestic violence. 57% of Australian women experience physical or sexual violence during their lives (Amnesty International 2005 Fact Sheet). This statistic is 40 times higher for Indigenous women (Vaisutus). Sexual violence against women is perpetrated by men in 99% of cases. Young women aged 18 to 24 are at the greatest risk of violence (ABS 1996). These figures indicate the need for prevention of sexual violence toward women and children. Women and children need to be free from discrimination and fear.