UIS "Take Back the Night" march & rally calls for an end to violence against women

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Women's Center and Residence Life will hold the ninth annual “Take Back the Night” march and rally. The event protests rape and all forms of violence against women. This year the special Earth Day “Me-We” theme includes violence against the earth, biosphere, and all creatures.

WHEN: Friday, April 22, 2016, beginning at 8:30 p.m.

WHERE: The candlelight march will start with a brief ceremony near the colonnade on the UIS main quad and progress towards the Student Life Building (SLB) Gym where a rally will be held.

DETAILS: “Take Back the Night” empowers women and all people to reclaim their right to be part of the night and the human experience of nighttime. “Take Back the Night” will include survivor stories, poetry and a healing observance. T-shirts will be distributed.

The Clothesline Project and 10 Paper Cranes to Heal the Violence will also be on display. The Clothesline Project is made up of t-shirts telling women’s stories. The 10 Paper Cranes project was created at UIS three years ago. Students create paper cranes streamers dedicated to victims/survivors.

The supporting organizations for the event include the Asian Student Organization (ASO), Bicycle Advisory Committee, Bio Club, Gamma Phi Omega International Sorority, Global Sisterhood, Indian Student Organization (ISO), International Student Association (ISA), Lincoln Land Community College (LLCC), Organization of Latin American Students (OLAS), Rotary Club, Saudi Arabian Student Association, Student Allied for a Greener Earth (SAGE), Sustainability Committee and Vietnamese Student Association.

For more information on “Take Back the Night”, contact the UIS Women’s Center at 217/206-7173 or womenscenter@uis.edu.