The crosswalks at the southwest corner of Victoria Park have been painted purple as the London Abused Women’s Centre prepares to announce details of its eleventh annual Shine the Light on Woman Abuse campaign.
The crosswalk at Richmond Street and Central Avenue is also being painted, with just a few finishing touches left as of Thursday morning.
The campaign runs the month of November but a launch event is scheduled for Thursday morning. That event will be held online, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shine the Light aims to: “raise awareness of men’s violence against women by turning communities purple for the month of November; to stand in solidarity with abused women and support them in understanding that any shame and/or blame they may feel does not belong to them but to the perpetrators of their abuse; and to raise the profile of the community agencies that can provide abused women with help as they attempt to live their lives free from violence and abuse.”
Typically, Shine the Light also honours two women each year: a survivor of male violence and a woman who has died.
On Tuesday evening, the crosswalks southwest of Victoria Park were painted purple as part of the campaign. The crosswalks are along the section of Victoria Park closest to the Tree of Hope, which will be illuminated in purple as part of the campaign.
As usual, the campaign will also include Wear Purple Day, where everyone is encouraged to wear something purple to show support and raise awareness. That day is Nov. 15 or the Friday before if it falls on a weekend — this year Wear Purple Day will be Nov. 13.
The campaign has grown significantly since its launch in 2010, going international in 2017 as it spread to Sweden and Australia.