Reflections on Take Back the Night

A Movement That Crosses Borders

On 15 September, communities in Canada will once again gather for Take Back the Night—a powerful grassroots movement against sexual violence and gender-based harm. Voices will rise, candles will burn, and streets will echo with a call for safety and justice.

Although rooted in Canada, the significance of Take Back the Night resonates far beyond its borders. Wherever women walk in fear, wherever silence still protects perpetrators rather than survivors, the message carries: the night belongs to all of us.

More Than a March

Take Back the Night is not simply an annual march. It is a declaration that women have the right to occupy public spaces without fear. It is also a recognition that violence is not confined to dark streets—it often happens in homes, within families, or behind closed doors where silence is enforced.

For Black and minoritised women, the risks can be layered and complex. Racism, cultural stigma, and community pressure often silence survivors further. Take Back the Night, then, is about reclaiming more than the street—it is about reclaiming voice, dignity, and freedom.

The Power of Collective Action

One of the most striking things about Take Back the Night is its visibility. Survivors are too often asked to endure in private, but here their voices echo publicly, demanding change. Collective action has the power to dismantle myths, challenge harmful narratives, and remind the world that sexual violence is not inevitable—it is preventable.

This collective power is also found in support services. At Anah Project, women find not just safety but solidarity. In our shared spaces, the silence of abuse is broken by the strength of collective survival. Each woman’s story becomes part of a wider call for justice, echoing the spirit of Take Back the Night.

Carrying the Flame Forward

Not everyone can march. But each of us can carry the spirit of Take Back the Night forward in our own way—by challenging harmful attitudes, by supporting survivors, by speaking up when silence would be easier.

The night will only truly be ours when every woman, everywhere, can walk without fear. Until then, each candle lit, each voice raised, and each safe space created is a step closer to that reality.