Did anyone else notice the purple hue that surrounded the Fraser Valley in October? Some police officers traded their black city of Abbotsford patches for purple ones, downtown storefronts donned purple décor, and purple lighting ceremonies were held. Perhaps unaware of the true meaning, one might conclude it was a month of preparation for Halloween, but the truth is much more haunting.
I contacted Sue Shaw, Victim Services Coordinator at the Abbotsford Police Department and member of the Purple Lights Nights Committee since 2020, to learn more about Purple Lights Nights (PLN). She shared that PLN is an initiative put on by the Violence Against Women in Relationships committee (VAWIR) to raise awareness about intimate partner violence. This year marked the twelfth year that VAWIR has put on this month-long campaign.
Shaw educated me on PLN’s goal: “The committee works tirelessly to create a series of events throughout the Fraser Valley to offer information, resources, and a strong message that intimate partner violence has no place in our community.” To accomplish this, the committee ran booths at local markets, organized walks throughout Abbotsford and Mission to raise awareness, and hosted hot yoga classes. Even local businesses got involved. Banter Ice Cream created a new flavour, Ube Marshmallow, to support the cause and donated $1 per every pint or scoop sold. I also saw small tables in many places, like After Thoughts and Silk Degrees, dedicated to bringing awareness to intimate partner violence.
It’s encouraging to see the community rally around such an important cause, making more people aware of this issue. It’s also important that as a community, we get behind movements that we believe in, and a great way we can do this is by taking advantage of monthly awareness campaigns.
December marks another salient annual movement called Dressember, which raises awareness about local and international human trafficking. Dressember works towards human trafficking prevention and intervention and provides support for victims and survivors through fundraising. Supporters of Dressember take part by trading their everyday wear for something more dressy. This usually elicits questions, which provides opportunities to explain the reason behind over-dressing, leading to conversations about the movement. A dress is the typical symbol for Dressember in an effort to “reappropriate the dress as a symbol of freedom and power.”
As a woman who has personally been a victim of sexualization when I’ve worn a dress, this campaign is something that is close to my heart, and I’ve had the honour of being a part of it for the last few years.
I encourage you to look into these campaigns/organizations and consider taking part. Purple Lights Nights and Dressember bring awareness to important issues affecting our communities. Perhaps consider following @purplelightsnightsfraservalley and @dressember on Instagram to support these meaningful initiatives.
