Written By PAULA BROWN

LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

Dufferin County residents have the opportunity to stand in solidarity against gender-based violence.

Family Transition Place (FTP) is inviting members of the community to participate in their annual Take Back the Night and Sisters in Spirit Day event on Oct. 2, from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The event will feature guest speakers and a two-kilometre empowerment march through the community, starting at the FTP facility, located at 20 Brendin Parkway in Orangeville.

“Join us as we raise our voices, walk together, and commit to creating a safer, more equitable future for all,” said Family Transition Place in a press release.

Take Back the Night is a global movement held annually in September to raise awareness and take a stand against sexual and gender-based violence. Sisters in Spirit Day, observed across Canada on Oct. 4, honours and remembers Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people (MMIWG2S+), and calls for justice and meaningful action.

In previous years, Family Transition Place has co-hosted the event with the Orangeville-based Georgian College, but this year the event will proceed without their involvement due to the ongoing faculty strike.

“FTP acknowledges Georgian's past contributions and looks forward to future collaborations once the strike is resolved,” reads the press release.

Family Transition Place's Take Back the Night and Sisters in Spirit Day event is open to the community to participate and does not require registration.