Londoners will come together to officially flip the switch on this year’s Shine the Light on Woman Abuse campaign on Wednesday.
Officials with the London Abused Women’s Centre, as well as from city hall and London’s emergency services, will be on hand to illuminate a tree at the southwest corner of Victoria Park in purple lights.
The lights will remain on through the month of November.
“We’re asking people to illuminate their structures and wear purple throughout the month of November to recognize Women Abuse Awareness and Prevention month and to send a signal to all women that there is hope and help and that communities stand in solidarity with them as we try to hold abusers accountable for their behaviour,” said Megan Walker, executive director of the London Abused Women’s Centre.
Walker says this campaign has shared stories of women who have suffered abuse from intimate partners as well as in prostitution.
“Ashley Desjardins will be speaking tomorrow. She’s a survivor and her message is filled with hope. We want women to know that we honour and value those women who aren’t here to speak any longer, while honouring and valuing those who are, to spread that message of hope,” she said.
Asked how they help women in these situations, Walker said, they listen.
“We listen to those who are going through this every single day, and we listen to their family members who have lost someone they love very deeply because of prostitution. When other people come forward and say you need to listen to survivors, that’s exactly what we do at the London Abused Women’s Centre,” she said.
The ceremony is set to begin at 5:30 p.m.
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