By Spencer Sterritt

VIDEO: Nanaimo stands together for women’s rights at 2nd annual march

Jan 20, 2018 | 12:24 PM

NANAIMO — “My body, my mind, my choice.”

The call and response rang across a crowd of more than 1,000 downtown in Maffeo Sutton Park on Saturday, Jan. 20 for the second annual women’s march. They were there to raise awareness about women’s rights and issues as well as violence against minorities.

“Each and every one of us can make a difference in the life of our neighbours, family members, our community in general,” Anne Taylor, an organizer and executive director of Haven Society, told NanaimoNewsNOW.

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Signs both clever and serious filled the space around the pavilion in the park as speakers told the crowd about the onslaught of abuse, derision and violence they see on a day-to-day basis.

Taylor said one-in-three women will experience sexual or physical abuse in their life time and every six days a Canadian woman dies at their hand of their intimate partner. Trans women and men are more often vulnerable to violence and Indigenous women are six times more likely to be killed than a non-Indigenous woman.

“We’ve got to stand with the most vulnerable,” Taylor said. “If any of us are mistreated, it really calls for all of us to step in and be part of the solution and make sure it doesn’t continue to happen.”

Crowds swelled for this march compared to the first event in 2017. Taylor said she’s optimistic the march will continue to grow as awareness about women’s issues and the struggle many face becomes more ingrained in cultures around the world.

“Where ever one person or one group is marginalized or mistreated or experiences violence, then we all need to stand together and be part of the solution ensuring it doesn’t happen going forward.”

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit