Abuse survivor Mary Meadows, Lynn Gallant-Blackburn, London police Chief John Pare, and London Lightning owner Vito Frijia raise the Shine the Light flag outside of the London Abused Women's Centre on York St., October 14, 2016. (Photo by Miranda Chant, Blackburn News)Abuse survivor Mary Meadows, Lynn Gallant-Blackburn, London police Chief John Pare, and London Lightning owner Vito Frijia raise the Shine the Light flag outside of the London Abused Women's Centre on York St., October 14, 2016. (Photo by Miranda Chant, Blackburn News)
London

London Going Purple To End Woman Abuse

London will soon be awash in purple as the London Abused Women's Centre prepares to Shine the Light on woman abuse.

The annual awareness campaign, now in its seventh year, kicked off on Friday and runs through November.

"The goal never changes. It is to end men's violence against women by raising awareness," says Megan Walker, executive director of the London Abused Women’s Centre. "Our goals include ensuring women can access services, which means communities standing by their side, supporting them, and shifting the blame away from the victims and onto the shoulders of the perpetrators."

This year's Shine the Light campaign honours abuse survivor Mary Meadows of St. Thomas and 36-year-old Paula Gallant, a Nova Scotia mother murdered by her husband in December 2005.

"Too many women die at the hands of violence. In Paula's case, because there was no known physical abuse, no history, no warning signs, no triggers, Paula was caught completely off guard, completely defenseless," says Lynn Gallant-Blackburn, Paula's sister. "Often times when there is abuse present, women through their support groups and families have opportunities to escape before ultimate tragedy occurs but Paula didn't have that. Far too many women are being abused and die at the hands of a perpetrator."

Gallant-Blackburn and Meadows raised London's first Shine the Light flag outside of the Abused Women's Centre as part of the campaign launch. The flags will also fly outside of London Police headquarters, city hall, London Fire Station Number 1, and at all 26 Southside Group properties.

The London Convention Centre, the Middlesex-London Health Unit, and the Blackburn Fountain are among more than 50 buildings and monuments in London that will be illuminated with purple lights for the month.

New this year, the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa will go purple. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also recorded a video message in support of the campaign. In it, he praised the work of the centre and agencies like it.

Trudeau closed by saying "we must shine the light on the abuse of women. We must support women struggling to rebuild their lives. I stand in solidarity with victims, with survivors and with families and loved ones."

The London-born initiative has spread to more than 30 cities across the province. But in the eyes of Gallant-Blackburn, it still has room to grow.

"I hope this creates monuments across the country, I hope that through Prime Minister Trudeau's commitment to Shine the Light and the London Abused Women's Centre that other cities will step up and provide the same support," says Gallant-Blackburn. "Lets publicly talk about it, lets make people aware, lets rally our communities to end woman abuse."

A list of campaign events can be found by clicking here.

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