Hope Harbor Inc. Hosts Annual ‘Take Back the Night’ Event
Building Awareness and Empowerment Against Sexual Violence
Established in the 1980s following community concerns about the high incidence of spouse abuse, Hope Harbor Inc. has grown exponentially since its inception. Their key objective is to assist the local community, which is plainly demonstrated by organizing vital events such as ‘Take Back the Night’. The event provided a platform for local vendors, childrens’ activities, live entertainment, and food trucks to contribute positively to the local community.
A Stand Against Sexual Violence
Katie Poindexter, the advocacy coordinator for Hope Harbor Inc., shared, “Sexual violence impacts everyone in the community, even if it’s not directly. It’s all kind of like a domino effect. It’s really good to have community support for survivors. To show that we are here for them, we support them, and we do not stand for sexual violence.”
According to records available on the official Take Back the Night website, hundreds of educational institutions across North America began holding marches and rallies against sexual violence during the period 1980-1985. This overwhelming response was elicited following the publication of Laura Lederer’s insightful book “Take Back the Night: Women on Pornography”, in which she unequivocally demanded a cease to violence against women.
The Role of WKU
Elizabeth Madariaga, the WKU sexual assault services coordinator, was also present at the event, engaging actively in advocacy work for counseling services for victims of sexual assault. She succinctly put forward, “Several departments on WKU’s campus and Hope Harbor work together to put on events for Sexual Assault Prevention Month.”
“We do things on campus, we do things in the community, just to help raise awareness and prevention for this issue. We’re part of a community-wide committee and this is one of the events Hope Harbor sponsors. We’re here to show support for that. We’re also here to let the community and WKU know the services that are available to them,” she further added.
Madariaga substantiated the importance of events such as “Take Back the Night”, emphasizing that sexual assault is not a male and female issue, but a community issue. She concluded, events like “Take Back the Night” as an occasion “where we can come together, show that we support each other no matter where you’re at in Bowling Green… not only against sexual violence, which is so prevalent, but also within our own respective areas and everyone can do something.”