“We deserve to be loved. We deserve to be cared for. And we deserve to be listened to,” Kati Rodriguez Perez, the Women’s Center Sexual Violence Prevention and Education Coordinator said, at this year’s Take Back the Night.
The UO Women’s Center hosted the 43rd annual Take Back the Night march virtually this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Every night of last week, organizers uploaded videos of speakers sharing information and their experiences of sexual violence.
The march concluded Thursday with a slideshow of people across all races, ages and genders holding signs with messages such as “Consent is mandatory” and “I stand with survivors.” Somber music played in the background of the slideshow.
Activists around the world hold Take Back the Night each year to raise awareness about the realities of domestic and sexual violence in marginalized communities and the impact these issues have on them. Survivors and supporters attend each year to listen to speakers and participate in what is now a virtual march.
All of the speakers opened up with an acknowledgement that the university is on stolen Kalapuya Ilihi land. Perez and the Women Center’s director, Fatima Roohi Pervaiz, started the event with introductions of themselves, an overview of the event and a variety of content warnings. Pervaiz praised the speakers as she said to speak about one’s experiences is an “act of resistance.”
The event took place virtually for the second year in a row, following a model similar to the year before. Organizers uploaded videos of speakers each night on Microsoft Stream, requiring viewers to log in with a UO ID to protect the speakers’ identities.
“A lot of my speakers have marginalized identities and their personal safety is at risk,” Pervaiz said. “Requiring a login gives them an extra layer of protection.”
Before the pandemic, the event took place for only one night, with a rally, march and an opportunity for participants to share their stories with the crowd. It would begin at the EMU amphitheater where up to 500 people would attend to watch powerful testimonies from speakers. They would then march down 13th Avenue, ending up downtown, where Sexual Assault Support Services would host a rally with an open mic for survivors to tell their stories.
When crafting the plan for a virtual event last year, the Women’s Center worked hard to keep some elements the same. Despite losing some physical aspects of the event, the outcome remains impactful, Pervaiz said.
“We do this to show people that, even though we are at a distance, they are still supported,” she said. “Even if they are alone, there still is a community in support of them.”
Speakers addressed a range of topics — from their own personal experiences to greater societal problems including racism, colonialism and sexism. UO sophomore Johana Amani spoke about her experience learning to forgive herself. She also talked about the lack of protections for refugees, as a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo herself.
“Today, I am 21 years old and I finally give myself permission to heal,” Amani said. “The patriarchy will not keep me silent.”
Princess Mason discussed the intersections of sexual violence, hesitancy to report to the police and Indigenous experiences. Mason shared her own story of assault and how she silenced herself out of shame. She questioned who feels safe to report assault — highlighting how many people do not see the police as a safe option to turn to.
Many of the speakers expressed being taught silence from a young age. Lidija Sovulj discussed her experiences of racism, sexualization and fetisization as a Vietnamese and Croatian woman. She reflected back on her ancestors and the violence of the Vietnam War.
“I wonder how often my ancestors are with me in times of need and danger,” Sovulj said. “I often wonder if their ancestors were with them, too.”
Ashley Marshall, the Internal Director of UO Muxeres, read allowed the names and ages of some victims of femicide, the murder of women and femme-presenting folks. She spoke to the rise of femicide in Mexico and other Latin American countries and traced its roots to the colonization of the region.
As a program of UO MeChA, Muxeres works to create a safe space for women of color to discuss the issues they face. Each year at Take Back the Night, members paint half of their faces to represent skulls in solidarity with survivors and those who have lost their lives to sexual violence.
“Everyone needs to do a better job in order to truly change the culture of violence,” Marshall said. “That means listening to survivors’ experiences, not silencing them.”
After a tumultuous year, Pervaiz said the Women’s Center recognizes the importance of connecting and lifting up each other’s voices. If just one person feels empowered by the event, they’ve done their job, she said.
“What we know for sure is that after speaking, there is healing. Even if your voice shakes,” Sovulj said, tears streaming down her face. “And that’s how we take back our power. And that’s how we take back the night.”
