BWIM launches 5th Annual Weekend of Action Agains Rape Culture

Written by

Bjorn Wagenpfeil

November 25, 2021

Black Women in Motion (BWIM), a grassroots organization trusteed by The Neighbourhood Group, is gearing up for its fifth annual Weekend of Action Against Rape Culture, starting Friday, November 26th. The BWIM team has been a champion of Black Women, Non-binary and Gender-non-conforming survivors of gender-based violence for nearly a decade. Their Weekends of Action aim to bring survivors, supporters, service providers, and allies together to disrupt and dismantle rape culture, patriarchy, white supremacy, colonialism, and gender based violence.

The theme of this year's Weekend of Action is "Breaking The Silence - Speaking Up and Speaking Out" and offers a diverse mix of interactive learning opportunities for everyone who is passionate about creating change and looking for the tools to do so. In a series of virtual, conference-style workshops, the BWIM team and its supporters will explore how we can create a culture of consent and support survivors of gender-based violence.

What makes BWIM's Weekends of Actions so special? "To be in the same space […] as people who are like-minded, who are survivors or supporting survivors, allies, and service providers, and that everybody is coming into this space with an understanding that we are here for a purpose, that we are here to support one another, and that we are all here to learn", says Kelsey from the BWIM team, who will be hosting a Childhood Sexual Abuse & Parenting workshop as part of the weekend's program. "It's about continuously learning different concepts or ways of thinking and challenges my own reflection on the ways I see myself in the world or how I engage with people to be more survivor centered."

The weekend will kick-off on Friday at 5:00 PM with BWIM's Consent Campaign, a photo series event and virtual live performances that aim to raise the voices of black survivors of gender-based violence and sexual violence. Head to their website and Instagram page to check it out! Throughout this virtual gallery, visitors will explore consent culture by looking at aspects of survivorship through an intersectional, trauma-informed, and survivor-centred lens. Over the following two days, the BWIM team has composed an impressive lineup of speakers, survivors, and supporters who will share their knowledge and experiences in interactive workshops. To reserve your free ticket, click here.

The beauty of BWIM's events on this Weekend of Actions lies in the fact that the vital conversations will encourage participants to recognize and overcome their own privileges and biases to better understand survivors of gender-based violence and the racial barriers they experience. "It's a huge issue," says Kelsey, "We want people in attendance be angry about these issues […] and provide actionable steps they can take in their own lives." So come and join BWIM in making strides to end gender-based violence and support Black Women, Non-binary and Gender-non-conforming survivors.