Naming it is just the beginning of the journey... with Jody Wilson Raybould

“Because, the power of #MeToo isn’t just naming it. Naming it is just the beginning of the journey” -Tarana Burke

Leading up to BWSS 40 Years Later Commemoration with Tarana Burke at the Orpheum Theatre on November 25th, 2019, BWSS asked local activists to share how “Naming it is just the beginning of the journey”…

“Gender-based violence affects us all. Movements like #MeToo, organizations like BWSS, and days of commemoration and remembrance in honour of the lives lost to violence and those who continue to endure violence in their day-to-day lives are all necessary to continue to shine a new light on the troubling prevalence of violence, sexual harassment, and sexual assault within our society – within our country — patterns of behaviour that are not reflective of how we like to hold ourselves up as Canadians.

We are on a journey together, where we must commit to reaffirming our conviction every day. To stop sexual violence, we must stop sexism, misogyny and discrimination. This requires breaking patterns of behaviour that are, at the core, the problem within our society.

At all levels, we need to commit to:

achieving equality,
denouncing discrimination,
empowering vulnerable communities, and,
tackling ongoing sexism, homophobia, and transphobia in all of its forms.

So we need to ask: what happens after we say “I hear you” or “you deserve more” or “me too” or “I pledge to end sexual harassment and violence”? What happens after we acknowledge that women and girls and members of vulnerable communities are equal? How do we translate belief into action? Yes, naming it is just the beginning — the conversation does not end there.

So, in addition to listening to survivors, and building on commitments, we must always:

Speak out against violence;
Intervene when we see acts of gender-based violence, when we can do so safely;
Take Action by creating space for these discussions in our communities;
Lead by example; and,
Know that your words and your actions matter.

We must all affirm that everyone has the right to live a life free from violence. We must take action to end gender-based violence. We must acknowledge our collective responsibility. We must move together towards inclusivity. Broader societal forces create and influence attitudes and, while they created the prevalence of gender-based violence, they – with courage and compassion – will also end it”.

Hon. Jody Wilson-Raybould, P.C., Q.C., M.P.
Member of Parliament for Vancouver Granville

Ticket Sponsorship

We are seeking ticket sponsorship for individuals who otherwise would be unable to attend, if you would like to sponsor tickets please email samantha@bwss.org

We are so grateful for our generous sponsors!