A woman walks alone down a dark, deserted street. With every shadow she sees, and every sound she hears, her pounding heart flutters and skips a beat. She hurries her pace as she sees her destination become closer. She is almost there. She reaches the front door, goes inside, collects herself, and moves on forgetting, at least for tonight, the gripping fear that momentarily enveloped her life.

This scene could have occurred anywhere last night, last year, or even 100 years ago. Historically, women faced the anxiety of walking alone at night and that is why Take Back the Night began.

The first take back the night event took place in Philadelphia, in October 1975, after Susan Speeth, a young microbiologist was stabbed by a stranger a block away from her house as she was walking alone.

Since then, many others Take Back the Night walks have taken place, around the world… You can be the next

Take back the night in your community by organizing a Shine Your Light Walk for the 16 days of action 2011 !

Holding a Shine Your Light Walk demonstrates your community’s commitment to end sexual violence in partnership with the Take Back The Night Foundation. The Walks can build awareness in your community and support the Take Back The Night Foundation’s work locally, nationally and internationally to stand against sexual violence against women and girls.

How to plan a Shine Your Light Walk in 5 steps:

1. Choose a walk date, location and route. The walks are usually held at night to demonstrate our ability to feel safe no matter the time or day.

2.  Order Banners, signs and other materials for registration and general information. By ordering them from Take Back the Night Foundation, you can support its work through donations.

3. Provide water/food at the beginning or end of the walk. The walks often begin with a powerful poem and end with a community demonstration of support and healing.

4. Spread the word using a combination of social media, traditional marketing, news articles and e-mail blasts to advertise your Walk!

5. Download our Shine Your Walk Guide from the Resources section below for detailed instructions & participation agreement.

Note: To register your walk as an Official Shine Your Walk event with Take Back the Night, please follow the guidelines and register here.  The registration fee for each Walk participant is $15 and covers the cost of  the official Shine Your Light Walk glow-in-the-dark T-shirt and glow-in-the-dark Take Back the Night wristband