For the last 10 years the Shine the Light campaign has honoured women who have experienced abuse at the hands of a man. Some of those women have survived. Some haven’t.
The London Abused Women’s Centre (LAWC), is the driving force behind the campaign. Executive Director, Megan Walker says that the main purpose of the agency is to provide abused women and girls with hope and support.
“The London Abused Women’s Centre helped 8,081 women and girls last year. That’s a 103% increase over 2 years.”
LAWC’s Shine the Light aims to raise awareness of men’s violence against women. The best way to do that? Share the stories of some of these women.
This year the stories being shared belong to Natalia Jimenez and Sonya Cywink. Jimenez survived. Cywink didn’t.
***Warning – there are descriptions of domestic violence going forward.***
photo provided by London Abused Women’s Centre
Natalia Jimenez
In a room full of politicians, journalists, and family Natalia Jimenez shared her heart wrenching story.
She came to Canada where she was abused by her partner, but that’s not where the story started.
“My ex-partner abused me physically and psychologically in Colombia. I always forgave him out of fear.” Jimenez starts. “We arrived in Canada and the verbal and physical abuse continued… And I didn’t charge him out of fear of being deported and on the advice of others.”
Natalia Jimenez and her interpreter Veronica Grunwald
The story Jimenez weaves is not a pretty one. In fact, most of her audience was in tears.
After months of abuse, which resulted in restraining orders, arrests, and releases it all came to a head on Jan. 2, 2014.
On that day, her ex came to her apartment disguised as a woman. After Jimenez inadvertently let him in, he locked the door and began to choke her without mercy.
“He knew exactly which parts of my throat to squeeze… He said to me, with an expression of rage on his face, that if I wasn’t his I wouldn’t belong to anyone else.”
Jimenez recounts that she was extremely lucky that a friend of hers was outside and that she convinced her neighbours to call the police.
In the time she waited for the police, the man who claimed to love her tried to strangle her with his bare hands, a phone charger, and a belt. He also threatened her with a knife.
When her friend tried to contact her by phone Jimenez was told to lie and say everything was fine. At knife point. She didn’t. She asked for help. And then he stabbed her.
“I felt the knife coming in and out of my chest and a stream of blood hitting my face.”
Soon after, her neighbours and the police barged into the apartment and saved her life.
When she woke up in the hospital, not only was she facing a long recovery, but her refugee status had been denied. She was facing deportation.
This was years ago. “I still have nightmares.” Jimenez admits.
Megan Walker and LAWC took care of her immigration status, and her friend took her in so she didn’t have to return to the place she’d almost died. The rest was up to her.
It was a long road, but now Jimenez is ready to share her story to help others, including her own children.
“I know that many immigrant women are going through the same things I went through. And I felt that I had to [share] right now, so changes can start.”
photo courtesy of London Abused Women’s Centre
Sonya Cywink
Sonya was the twelfth child of thirteen, the seventh daughter, of Ojibway/Potawatomi
and Polish decent, from Whitefish River First Nation.
She is described as intelligent, creative, loving, kind, and someone who always put others first.
She was murdered on Aug 30, 1994. She was pregnant.
To this day, her case remains unsolved and her family is still seeking justice.
Shine the Light
The Shine the Light campaign seeks to raise awareness by turning cities purple for the month of November.
The colour purple has come to symbolize courage, survival, honour, and the fight to end abuse against women.
When Megan Walker spoke to a teary eyed crowd she reminded them of Natalia Jimenez’s bravery, and Sonya Cywink’s kindness, and that no women should have to go through what they did.
“…Shine the Light is so important to the community and women. It’s important that women never feel the shame [that you felt]. It’s important that the community doesn’t collude with abusers, but rather stand up for women that are being abused.”
There will be several events held over the course of November and the Shine the Light campaign:
- Wednesday, November 1st
Campaign Kick-Off & Lighting of the Tree of Hope
Victoria Park – 5:00pm - Monday, November 4th
Chalk Walk – Fanshawe College - Monday, November 4th to Friday, November 8th
Shades of Our Sisters:
Art Installation at Fanshawe College.
Anytime daily between 9:30 am and 3:30 pm from November 4th to the 8th.
The Traditional Opening of the Installation will take place on Monday, November 4th from 5:00 pm to 7:00pm - Tuesday, November 5th
Purple Pashmina Sale
London Health Science Centre, Victoria Campus Zone B, Level 2 – Atrium from 10am – 2pm - Wednesday, November 13th
Pop-Up Shop at Covent Garden Market 10-2 - Wednesday, November 15
Wear Purple Day
