Purple is the colour of the month in November.
It’s associated with the campaign Shine the Light on Women Abuse.
November is woman abuse awareness and prevention month.
Jacquee Loerzel is with Riverside Community Counselling Services, which helps promote the Shine the Light campaign.
“Shine the light is a campaign organized and started by the London Abused Women Center in London, Ontario, and was started to promote the recognition or the awareness that prevention of women abuse,” says Loerzel.
The colour purple plays prominently in the campaign.
The public is asked to wear the colour on November 15 to help raise further awareness.
A flag flies at the Fort Frances Civic Centre while the purple lights light up Rainy Lake Square.
Loerzel says posters were also distributed throughout the area, while homeowners, businesses, and organizations are encouraged to decorate their windows and store fronts to draw further support.
She says such a campaign is even more important as the number of incidents of abuse has been rising during the pandemic.
“The pandemic has created a social situation where people are more isolated, and it creates a more unsafe atmosphere for some of those who are currently in domestic violence relationships.”
Loerzel notes there are many services locally if you or someone you know needs support.
“Reaching out to them. Safety is first and foremost. We want to connect those individuals to service providers in the community or others that can offer safety and support.”
