Allan Gardens Community Park after dark does not seem like a very appealing place to be. At the intersection of Sherbourne and Gerrard, the park is a hotbed of unsavory liaisons and activities.
Precisely this, however, is what makes it the perfect venue for Toronto’s 27th annual “Take Back the Night” march.
“The Take Back the Night march is an event organized by feminist, grassroots, anti-violence and anti-oppression activist groups all around the world with a focus on women’s rights and safety for women and children,” explained Grissel Orellana, TRCC/MWAR Outreach and Community Development Coordinator.
The rally before the event saw inspirational speakers and singers moving the crowd. One song in particular, “Lean on Me,” sung by a very warm and outgoing volunteer, seemed to hold the crowd rapt.
“Dignity” vans—taxi cab-like vans, specifically at the event for people who needed safe rides home during or after the march— lined the curbs of the circular area.
At the march on September 8, chants such as, “They say ‘stay home’, we say fight back! ” and, “Who’s the boss of my life? I am!” rang through my ears as I marched amongst a throng of women and children gathered on the grounds.
The University of Toronto’s Centre for Women and Trans People took part in this year’s march as part of its mission to display solidarity against rape and all forms of violence against women.
The march’s mandate of being for women and children only has raised the ire of more than a few. Men are encouraged to participate in some of the activities surrounding the event, such as providing child-care, and are welcome at the community fair and the rally directly preceding the march, but they can’t join the march itself.
“It’s symbolic,” said a CWTP member. “It’s about women reclaiming the night.”
This policy may cause controversy, but organizers defend it, saying abused women in attendance could feel threatened by a strong male presence.
Others simply feel that the entire point of the march is to speak out against violence done to women and children, thus it only makes sense for women and children to do the protesting.
Chris Lea, a former leader of the Green Party of Canada, agrees with the event organizers on the women-and-children-only rule.
“There would be less anger if it were easier for a single mother to balance work and home life and… leave a difficult situation with a more real expectation that they would be able to provide for and nurture their children instead of dooming them to a period of poverty,” Lea said.
As I (cautiously) walk back to the streetcar stop to go home after a long night of empowering chants and peaceful protest, I saw a lone woman steal a glance at the masses of activists. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking, of course, but the moment made me realize the two-sidedness of the situation: that it is not always as clear-cut as being a “supporter” or “detractor” of women’s rights. The movement for gender equality faces a long and arduous process, with no end of complicated issues to resolve, but if a glance opens even some small window of hope, it was well worth it.
