Wollongong women to reclaim the night

By Freya Pinney WOLLONGONG — On October 26 women will take to the streets for the first time here to protest against violence against women in the Illawarra. For years women from Wollongong have been travelling to Sydney to participate in the annual Recliam the Night march there. This year women are organising to demand safety in our local community. In recent months three women have been kidnapped and assaulted in the area. In late 1994 there was a series of rapes and attempted rapes at the University of Wollongong. Wollongong has the highest rate of domestic violence of all regional areas in NSW. Adequate lighting of pathways and car parks are still not provided at the university or in many parts of the city. Women will be gathering at 7pm on October 26 outside the South Beach Surf Club to march to the mall amphitheatre for speakers and entertainment. A speaker from the local Koori community will start the march. Entertainment will include Storm in a Tea Cup, Erika's Jive, Shannon McGrath and a street theatre troop from Wollongong University. Speakers will include Jan from the Wollongong Women's Centre; Jo Kawalzyk, president of the Wollongong University SRC; Zanette from the Turkish community; a speaker from the local sexual assault support service; and Kate Hansen, a high school student and member of Resistance. The march is for women only, but all people are welcome to attend the rally in the mall. The organising collective meets every Thursday at 6pm at the Wollongong Women's Centre, 170 Corrimal St, Wollongong. For more information call Jan, 281 499, or Nikki, 262 010.