Wagga Reclaim The Night will be held tomorrow, Friday October 28, at Wagga’s Outdoor Amphitheatre located in the Wollundry Precinct.

The event will run for approximately 2.5 hours and feature several speakers and a great selection of entertainment.

“Each year we try build up and improve on the public speakers,” Julie said.

“This year we have crime manager of the Wagga LAC, Rod Smith, among the speakers.

“He will be discussing the local domestic violence and assault statistics for the city.

We also have Atalanta Hall who previously worked for mission Australia and a number of domestic violence survivors who will be very interesting and powerful speakers.”

The entertainment line-up is set to feature up and coming local band Enclosed and a group of young performers from the Multicultural Council.

Following the speakers and entertainment, women will be invited to march along Fitzmaurice Street in a symbolic gesture of “reclaiming the night”.

While Julie admitted it is very difficult to measure the true extent of violence against women, as most incidences of domestic violence and sexual assault go unreported.

However the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2005 survey estimated that in the previous 12 months 1.47 million - 19 per cent of all women - have experienced sexual assault since the age of 15 and 2.56 million women - 33 per cent of all women - experienced domestic violence since the age of 15.

Reclaim the Night is not only an opportunity to protest the violence women experience in the public domain at night but highlight the other concerns such as domestic violence and sexual assault within the home.

Committee member Julie Kemp said the walk would empathise the message that all women have a right to feel safe.

“Women have the right to live free of sexual violence, free of all forms of violence and the right to freedom on the streets,” she said.

Men are welcome to take part in the celebrations in a support role, however the march itself is deliberately women only. “It symbolise women’s individual walk through darkness and demonstrates that strength can be derived from the energy of other women and that women united can resist fear and violence,” she said.