Take Back the Night in Gatineau

Tashi Farmilo

The march La rue, la nuit, les femmes sans peur will return to Gatineau this month, once again drawing women and allies into public space as a statement of defiance and one of belonging. Organized by CALAS de l’Outaouais, the event is part of a global movement rooted in the 1970 Take Back the Night protests and continues to challenge the idea that fear should dictate a woman’s right to move freely through any city.

Sexual violence remains among the most persistent and least reported crimes in Canada. Nationally, fewer than one in 20 sexual assaults are reported to police. In Quebec, more than a quarter of women have experienced sexual assault in adulthood. In Gatineau, 29 per cent of women say they’ve experienced unwanted sexual behaviour in public—one of the highest rates in the province. For racialized, Indigenous and younger women, the numbers are higher still. Despite government strategies and increased services, the daily reality for many remains one of caution, altered routes and safety calculations.

Espoir Rosalie, a Gatineau-based organization that supports mothers in vulnerable situations, is among those backing this year’s march. Founded in 1992, the group provides housing, parenting support and social services for women and children facing instability. Its work is built around the belief that safety and dignity should not be conditional. For executive director Émilie Charette, the march is not just a show of solidarity, but an essential act of civic accountability.

“This is not simply a moment of awareness,” Charette said. “It is a public call to confront the structural conditions that enable sexual violence. Supporting survivors means not just responding after the fact, it means challenging the culture that makes such violence possible.”

While the Quebec government has introduced a five-year integrated strategy on sexual and domestic violence, expanding legal aid, shelter space and specialized services, advocates maintain that policy alone is not enough. Visibility, they argue, keeps pressure on institutions while offering survivors something equally critical: public acknowledgement.

This year’s march begins at 6 pm on September 18 at the Maurice Richard statue, at the corner of Laurier and Allumettières. The route will cross into Ottawa and end near Parliament Hill around 8 pm. Shuttles will return participants to Gatineau between 8:30 and 9:30 pm, with drop-offs at the Canadian Museum of History.