Thirty-sixth Day of Action to Counter Sexual Violence Against Women

Coalition des groupes de femmes de la Haute-yamaska et Brome-missisquoi

The Coalition des groupes de femmes de la Haute-yamaska et Brome-missisquoi invites you to take part in the 36th Day of Action to Counter Sexual Violence Against Women. Sexual Assault – Women’s Invisible Past is the theme of this year’s Day of Action.

Events will be held on Friday, September 15, 2017. You are invited to take part in a 2-km Silent March to take a stand against sexual assault and to raise awareness about the invisibility of certain women’s sexual assault experiences. The pre-march rally will take place at 6:30 p.m. under the big top at Parc Victoria. We invite and encourage participants to wear as much black as possible.

Since the launch of the #Beenrapedneverreported hashtag in the fall of 2014, thousands of women have publicly broken the silence on their sexual assault experience. By doing so, they have helped bring sexual assault into the spotlight and into public debate. Despite the courageous generosity and determination of these survivors, sexual assault is still an excessively taboo issue. Many of women’s experiences are not represented in this public conversation. For instance, seldom do we hear about the stories of women with uncertain immigration statuses or with limited mobility, or women who face discrimination based on their ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Yet the context of these women’s lives can make them more susceptible to sexual assault, and presents real obstacles to their recovery — specifically in terms of access to services and legal recourse but also in terms of the prejudices they face when they decide to come out publicly. It is important to remember that the impacts of sexual assault are diverse and can vary depending on the type of marginalization and discrimination women face.

Immediately after the march, sexual assault survivors will share testimonials to highlight the diversity of sexual assault experiences. These testimonials will then be shared on social media.

Come one, come all, rain or shine, let’s walk strong, together!