Western Sydney women reclaim the night

By Sarah Harris

PARRAMATTA -- More than 100 women and children from Sydney's western suburbs participated in a spirited Reclaim the Night march and rally on October 24 under the banner of "Women's and children's right to safety".

Green Left Weekly spoke to a number of women at the rally including Mel, from the Cumberland Women's Health Centre and an organiser of the event, who said that Reclaim the Night was an opportunity to highlight the lack of resources and services for women in the western suburbs.

Mara Ochoa, a youth worker in the west, was part of a contingent of young women from the Holroyd Youth Services Centre. She said that Reclaim the Night was a chance for young women to say no to sexual harassment and violence. Before Reclaim the Night, the centre had organised workshops in which young women made up banners, badges and chants for the march. Some young men, who took part in a discussion on the history of women's oppression before the march, said they wanted to support young women challenging injustice.

Maggie Lawson from the Women Incest Survivors' Network told Green Left Weekly that WISH was launched in 1992 to lobby the government on the issues of prosecution of sexual assault and services for sexual assault survivors. Its demands include more counselling services for adult survivors, and training for legal and police workers in handling sexual assault cases.

Lawson said that there have been positive changes since WISH was formed, but that the legal system and police still fail to adequately protect women and children. The network publishes a newsletter every two months and can be contacted on (02) 9560 6627.

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