Women have long been told to watch where they walk after dark, keep their earbuds out and stay alert to what is happening around them.<\/p>\n
But in 2026, the threats don\u2019t necessarily stop when someone gets home.<\/p>\n
The internet, social media, online gaming and artificial intelligence have created new ways for sexual and gender-based violence to follow people wherever they go, according to one of the organizers of this week\u2019s Take Back the Night event in Peel Region.<\/p>\n
The annual rally and march takes place Thursday, Sept. 17, at the TMU Integrated Health Centre at 74 Queen Street West in Brampton, bringing together survivors, advocates, allies and community organizations from across Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon.<\/p>\n
Rebecca Pacheco, coordinator of the Peel Committee Against Women Abuse (PCAWA) and director of professional practice and advocacy at Embrave Agency to End Violence, said the event is about much more than simply walking through the streets at night.<\/p>\n
\u201cTake Back the Night is taking back a time that we\u2019re continuously told is dangerous to us,\u201d Pacheco said.<\/p>\n
Women are routinely given a list of precautions they should take, she said, from walking on the lighted side of the street to avoiding earbuds so they can hear what is happening around them.<\/p>\n
Instead, she said, the standard should be that everyone is safe regardless of the time of day.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo we\u2019re saying we\u2019re taking back the night, and we\u2019re taking back our safety,\u201d Pacheco said.<\/p>\n
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But that concept of safety has become considerably more complicated as technology has become woven into everyday life.<\/p>\n
Pacheco said organizations working with survivors are increasingly having to address technology-facilitated violence and the use of artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose are two new ways that we\u2019re having to quickly pivot our work, but also our safety planning,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
That includes conversations about staying safe while using social media, social networking sites and online gaming.<\/p>\n
AI-generated videos and graphics add another layer, she said, requiring people to be more critical of what they see and how they understand the information coming at them.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe experience of violence is universal and it\u2019s historic, but it also evolves,\u201d Pacheco said. \u201cAnd so our response has to evolve to it as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
That evolution is one reason events such as Take Back the Night remain important, she said.<\/p>\n
Sexual violence continues to disproportionately affect women and gender-diverse people, and it is not confined to one neighbourhood, city or age group.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe deal a lot with it right now,\u201d Pacheco said, pointing to concerns about sexual violence on university and college campuses as students return to school.<\/p>\n
But the issue crosses generations and geographic boundaries.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is something that\u2019s universally experienced,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
PCAWA\u2019s Peel event is intended to bring people together to challenge that reality and give survivors an opportunity to see that they are not alone.<\/p>\n
Pacheco expects between 100 and 150 people to attend throughout the evening.<\/p>\n
The event runs from 5 to 8 p.m. and will include a rally, march, speakers, a singer and opportunities for survivors to share their experiences.<\/p>\n
More than 20 service providers and community organizations are also expected to have booths at the event, giving residents an opportunity to learn about resources available to people experiencing sexual or gender-based violence.<\/p>\n
The event is also intended for people who have never personally experienced violence.<\/p>\n
Pacheco said allies have an important role to play, and this year\u2019s event will include a male allyship activity facilitated by Jeff Pereira.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s important that men know there is a role for them as well in this work,\u201d she said. \u201cWe can\u2019t do this without them.\u201d<\/p>\n
The event is open to everyone.<\/p>\n
For Pacheco, that broad participation is an important part of what Take Back the Night is trying to accomplish.<\/p>\n
The message isn\u2019t simply that women and gender-diverse people need to find better ways to protect themselves.<\/p>\n
It is that everyone should be able to move through their community, use their phone, participate online and live their lives without fear of sexual or gender-based violence.<\/p>\n
And as the places where people live their lives continue to expand from city streets into digital spaces, Pacheco said the fight for safety has to expand with them.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t really escape it always in that way,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s on your phone, it\u2019s on all of the areas you\u2019re able to access media, which is more accessible than ever.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Peel Committee Against Women Abuse has coordinated Take Back the Night in the region since 2016, with Embrave Agency to End Violence serving as its lead member organization.<\/p>\n
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