Reclaim The
Night (often called Take Back The Night) is a march for self-identifying women to end violence against women. Reclaim
the night protests against sexual harassment, violence and rape and is held
internationally.
The theme for Reclaim The Night Oxford 2014 is freedom! We would like to have freedom from violence, from the threat of violence and from body shaming, as well as freedom to dress how we want, to love who we want and to express ourselves in any space.
History
The very first Take Back the Night march was held in 1975 after the murder of Susan Alexander Speeth, who was stabbed to death while walking home alone in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The first international Take Back The Night occurred at The International Tribunal on Crimes against Women in 1976 in Brussels, Belgium. At this event there were over 2000 women, representing 40 countries.
In 1976 there were roughly 16,000 rapes reported in Rome which fueled the "Reclaim the Night" movement in Italy. The movement then expanded from Rome to Germany, where women organised their first Reclaim the Night in 1977.
Over the next few years international interest continued to grow. Leeds was the first city in England to hold a Reclaim The Night march in 1977 as a response to the Yorkshire Ripper Murders.
In 1978 women from many different cities began to use Take Back The Night Marches to speak out about gender based violence, for example women in Bombay, San Francisco and Vancouver.
The theme for Reclaim The Night Oxford 2014 is freedom! We would like to have freedom from violence, from the threat of violence and from body shaming, as well as freedom to dress how we want, to love who we want and to express ourselves in any space.
History
The very first Take Back the Night march was held in 1975 after the murder of Susan Alexander Speeth, who was stabbed to death while walking home alone in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The first international Take Back The Night occurred at The International Tribunal on Crimes against Women in 1976 in Brussels, Belgium. At this event there were over 2000 women, representing 40 countries.
In 1976 there were roughly 16,000 rapes reported in Rome which fueled the "Reclaim the Night" movement in Italy. The movement then expanded from Rome to Germany, where women organised their first Reclaim the Night in 1977.
Over the next few years international interest continued to grow. Leeds was the first city in England to hold a Reclaim The Night march in 1977 as a response to the Yorkshire Ripper Murders.
In 1978 women from many different cities began to use Take Back The Night Marches to speak out about gender based violence, for example women in Bombay, San Francisco and Vancouver.