Kicking off the 16 Days of Activism at Toronto City Hall

Kicking Off the 16 Days of Activism, 2025

On November 21st, 2025, Aura Freedom and Women’s Habitat of Etobicoke once again collaborated to co-host and convene  survivors, advocates, community members, government officials, and allies at Toronto City Hall for our annual Wrapped in Courage Flag Raising.

Together, we stood in solidarity to honour survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and to call urgent attention to the ongoing femicide emergency in Canada. The flag raising marked the launch of this year’s 16 Days of Activism to End Gender-Based Violence – serving as a powerful reminder that community action, survivor-centered advocacy, and sustained commitments from all levels of government are urgently needed.

Coinciding with the Flag Raising, Aura Freedom launched the second wave of our Behind Closed Doors campaign, bringing our pink door installation to the rotunda of City Hall to engage with attendees of the Flag Raising and others.

Explore our Behind Closed Doors campaign here

Naming the Femicide Emergency

Speakers from Aura Freedom, Women’s Habitat, and the City of Toronto highlighted the grave reality that gender-based violence is an emergency, one that results in a woman or girl violently killed every 48 hours in Canada. This year’s messaging emphasized recognizing and naming femicide clearly, acknowledging its root causes, and confronting the painful truth that women and girls in Canada are most often killed by the men closest to them. The gathering was not only an act of solidarity but a collective call for awareness, accountability, and an end to silence in the face of escalating violence.

Our GBV Flag Raising and Behind Closed Doors pink door installation at Toronto City Hall

What We Heard From Our Community

Feedback from the event reflected strong support and a profound emotional impact. When asked how important events like this are for the everyday person in Canada, the response from attendees was overwhelmingly high. When asked whether community events addressing GBV, intimate partner violence, and femicide make a difference, all attendees said yes.

One attendee shared, “The speakers that shared real-life stories rather than just theory were absolutely brave, courageous, and powerful.”

This feedback reaffirms that public education, survivor-led advocacy, and community gatherings remain essential tools in ending GBV and femicide.

Behind Closed Doors at City Hall

From November 20 to 26, 2025, hundreds of visitors experienced Aura Freedom’s “Behind Closed Doors” installation, which was featured in the Rotunda of Toronto City Hall. Our symbolic Pink Door installation illuminated the hidden yet pervasive nature of GBV and femicide occurring within homes across the country. The Pink Doors served as a powerful call to action, encouraging the public to open conversations about femicide, challenge the normalization of violence in private spaces, and advocate for stronger prevention and protection measures. We were glad to see these efforts recognized in mainstream media, bringing the realities of gender-based violence and femicide to the forefront.

Watch a Behind Closed Doors Feature on Global News Here

Powerful Moments From Visitors

Throughout the week, the installation generated reflection, learning, and connection. Several visitors shared their thoughts, including one man who described the issue as “a genocide,” and a city staff member who emphasized “the importance of asking questions and learning rather than making assumptions”. Another visitor expressed appreciation for the work Aura Freedom does, while a survivor advocate spoke about systemic barriers, noting that “financial strain and the court process remain significant obstacles for survivors”. A mother and City worker picked up our educational resources and shared that she would be taking this home to her husband, unsure whether he understood just how pervasive this violence is. Numerous folks came to the installation, taking pictures and resources to share with loved ones, finding this campaign as a medium to show support for the survivors in their lives. A woman passing through City Hall to pay a parking ticket stopped in her tracks at the sight of the Pink Doors and said simply, “Wow. Just… wow.” These interactions illustrate how deeply the installation resonated, prompting conversations and creating moments of understanding and awareness.

Taking Action Through Purple Ribbons

During the Flag Raising and throughout the installation, community members picked up purple ribbons to tie on their own doors as a simple yet powerful gesture of solidarity during the 16 Days of Activism – to open the conversations on femicide, and show an enduring commitment to making spaces behind closed doors safe for survivors, for women, and for all. Many brought ribbons back to their offices, homes, and communities, helping to extend the reach of the campaign across the city.

Our Advocacy Continues

Although the City Hall installation and Flag Raising have concluded, our 16 Days of Activism efforts continue. We encourage all Toronto residents and Canadians to stay engaged by tying a purple ribbon to their doors, sharing information about femicide using #BehindClosedDoors, supporting local shelters and organizations, talking openly about GBV and its root causes, and demanding policy change that protects survivors and prevents violence. Because we know that GBV is preventable. Femicide is preventable.

But prevention requires sustained recognition, investment, and collective action.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at City Hall for our Flag Raising, and supported the ‘Behind Closed Doors’ installation. Your presence, reflection, and commitment to survivors help move this work forward every day. Aura Freedom will continue raising our voices, raising awareness, and raising the flag until femicide is recognized, addressed, and ended.

Thank you all for joining us! Check out our photos.

Behind Closed Doors – Launch Event

Thank you to everyone who joined us on May 14, 2025 for Behind Closed Doors: Uncovering Intimate Partner & Familial Femicide, hosted by Aura Freedom in observance of Victims and Survivors of Crime Week 2025.

There’s so much we don’t see behind closed doors.

In Canada, a woman is killed every two days—most often by a man she shares a home with. Our event brought together survivors, experts, advocates, and community members to confront the emergency of femicide in Canada and ignite vital conversations around prevention and systemic change.

Highlights from the day included:

  • The unveiling of our Behind Closed Doors campaign including our pink door installation and other campaign art
  • Meaningful networking with survivors, artists, feminist activists, and community advocates
  • A thought-provoking panel discussion with experts Jaspreet Gill (York Region Centre for Community Safety), Deepa Mattoo (Barbra Schlifer Clinic & DVDRC), and Colette Martin, moderated by our Executive Director, Marissa Kokkoros 
  • Honest dialogue about how femicide is portrayed in the media and what needs to change
  • The re-launch of our online femicide resource hub: aurafreedom.org/femicide
  • Community building and knowledge-sharing

We’re deeply grateful to our speakers for their courage and commitment to ending femicide in Canada, and to the community that continues to show up, stand in solidarity, and push for justice. Your voices, presence, and advocacy are invaluable.

Behind Closed Doors - A Community Event & Campaign Launch

As a powerful next step in the campaign, we invite everyone to participate in our public Call to Action during Doors Open Toronto (May 24–25). While city buildings open their doors, we’re asking you to open doors to dialogue. Please attach the purple ribbon you received at the event to your front door as a sign of solidarity and a spark for conversation.

Explore our Behind Closed Doors campaign here

A heartfelt thank you to:

  • Forsman and Bodenfors for your brilliant campaign support, community and humanity. 
  • It’s Ok* Studios for hosting us
  • Department of Justice Canada for funding through Victims and Survivors of Crime Week, as well as York Region and the Government of Ontario

Let’s continue to learn, support, mobilize, strategize—and advocate for a future free from men’s violence and femicide.

🟣 Join the campaign. Spread awareness. End femicide. Visit aurafreedom.org/behind-closed-doors to learn more

In solidarity,
The Aura Freedom Team

Thank you all for joining us! Check out our photos.

Many thanks to our event sponsors and supporters:

Disrupting the Tides: Our Human Trafficking Knowledge-Sharing Symposium

Disrupting The Tides

A recap of our first full-day Human Trafficking Knowledge-Sharing Symposium

We did it, our way.

On Feb 20, 2025, in honour of Canada’s National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, Aura Freedom hosted our first full-day Knowledge-Sharing Symposium, Disrupting The Tides.

Disrupting The Tides gathered diverse and passionate individuals including frontline workers, community organizations, advocates, survivors, educators, parents/guardians, healthcare workers, first responders, and other stakeholders invested in eradicating sex trafficking and gender-based violence.

Our Symposium combined education, compassion, and community, serving as a space for education, unlearning, dialogue, and meaningful connections. This Symposium was designed with the utmost care and intention, building upon Aura Freedom’s award-winning sex trafficking prevention training and ongoing community research with survivors and diverse frontline experts.

It was a powerful day for training frontline workers and advocates to build their capacities on sex trafficking and gender-based violence, equipping attendees with actionable knowledge and resources to enhance their practice, improve their service provision, and strengthen their advocacy efforts. 

At the same time, we worked upstream to reimagine anti-human trafficking strategies and interventions that center Primary Prevention, which we know is the only way we will truly eradicate human trafficking.

Aura Freedom would like to thank the Regional Municipality of York for supporting our symposium.

Catch a glimpse of our day in this recap video below:

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who attended, including our brilliant panelists, artists, all those who shared their expertise and resources, and the countless individuals who contributed to this powerful movement for change. A special thank you to our main funders, York Region, and all of our sponsors, community partners, comrades, friends, sisters and siblings.

Let’s keep disrupting, together.

Thank you all for joining us! Check out our photos.

Many thanks to our event sponsors and supporters:

Wrapped in Courage at Queen’s Park

Wrapped in Courage at Queen's Park

Wrapped in Courage Breakfast and Reception at Queen’s Park

As part of our activities during the 16 Days of Activism to End GBV, and to honour the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, we attended the Wrapped In Courage event on November 25th at Queen’s Park hosted by Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses (OAITH).

Wearing our purple scarves, we advocated to and spoke with Ministers and MPPs across parties, as violence against women is a human rights issue, not a partisan one. We also networked and stood with many of our colleagues, strengthening our sector and movement.

Huge thanks go to the OAITH for hosting this annual event and for bringing us together in a meaningful way.

Vigil in Support of the 16 Days to End GBV 

After the Wrapped In Courage Reception, Aura Freedom was invited to speak at a Vigil in support of the 16 Days of Activism hosted by the Official Opposition. The ceremony featured remarks from Opposition Leader, Marit Stiles, MPP Liza Gretzky, OAITH’s Executive Director, Marlene Ham, and our very own Executive Director, Marissa Kokkoros.

Marissa was additionally interviewed by CityNews at the vigil, which ca be watched here. 

Flag Raising at City Hall

Raising the Wrapped in Courage Flag at City Hall

What a day!

To kick off the 16 Days of Activism to End Gender-Based Violence, Aura Freedom and Women’s Habitat of Etobicoke co-hosted this year’s Wrapped in Courage Flag Raising event at Toronto City Hall. We were honoured to join OAITH‘s annual Wrapped in Courage campaign to recognize Woman Abuse Prevention month.

Together, we brought almost 100 advocates, frontline workers and survivors to Toronto City Hall to raise a flag and honour our collective work to address the epidemic of Intimate Partner Violence, breaking the silence and standing together in solidarity against the increasing rates of femicide and violence against women, girls, and gender-diverse people in our communities.

A special thank you goes to both Mayor Olivia Chow and Toronto City Councillor Lily Cheng for welcoming us to Toronto City Hall.

And thank you to our esteemed speakers for sharing their powerful words of support for eradicating gender-based violence and intimate partner violence: the Honourable Charmaine Williams, Amy Lester (on behalf of MPP Marit Stiles), Mayor Olivia Chow, City Councillor Lily Cheng, and Marlene Ham of OAITH.

The flag is a symbol of commitment and of solidarity and we are grateful to all who supported this important day.

Watch our video here

Beyond the Epidemic Declaration

Beyond the Epidemic Declaration:

The GBV/IPV Working Group Organizes a Sector-Wide Consultation in the City of Toronto

Last year, Aura Freedom led the Urgent Call to Action that called upon the City of Toronto to declare Intimate Partner Violence an Epidemic in our communities. Building upon decades of feminist work, we led this Urgent Call in collaboration with Women’s Habitat of Etobicoke, and with the encouragement and endorsements of more than 40 organizations working to end gender-based violence in Toronto. We also had the support and advocacy of Councillor Lily Cheng and many survivors from our communities.

On July 20, 2023, herstory was made when newly-sworn-in Mayor Olivia Chow declared Intimate Partner and Gender-Based Violence an Epidemic in Toronto, with the unanimous support of City Council. As we celebrated this collective “victory”, it was important for us to ensure that the work didn’t end at the declaration.

From that time, along with our brilliant partners below, Aura Freedom collaborated in the GBV/IPV Working Group, which engaged in a deep analysis and organized a sector-wide consultation to ensure more voices were heard and more communities represented. The GBV Sector Consultation, held earlier this week, will inform the City on how address the IPV epidemic in a meaningful way. We also heard from City staff on the work that has been done so far.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to our amazing GBV/IPV Working Group co-members and our consultant extraordinaire with whom we’ve shared so much:

  • Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic
  • Native Women’s Resource Centre of Toronto
  • White Ribbon
  • Woman ACT
  • Women’s Habitat of Etobicoke
  • YWCA Toronto
  • Monica DaPonte, Shift & Build Consulting

And so much gratitude goes to all of the participants and attendees of the GBV Sector Consultation who brought their brilliance and passion to the table and to Councillor Cheng for her constant support of this work.

We are looking forward to what comes next. There is so much still to do.

A Double Launch for GBV In The Media

A Double Launch for GBV In The Media

VISIT THE GBV IN THE MEDIA WEBSITE

For years, feminist advocates have raised their voices about the importance of accurate media reporting of gender-based violence in the media. For years, we have seen gender inequality furthered and strengthened through media representation of gender-based violence. For years, survivors and their loved ones have seen their stories (and lives) misrepresented, mischaracterized, and in many cases ignored by media. 

The relationship between the GBV and Media sectors has been historically strained. But we know the only way for us to create transformative change, and utilize media as a means to prevent and end gender-based violence, is to bridge that divide. This is why we are so proud to have officially launched our GBV In The Media project, funded by Women and Gender Equality Canada, in which we created:

  • A National Network of pan-Canadian GBV and media stakeholders (with a parallel Indigenous-led Network)
  • Media Guidelines around reporting on gender-based violence, which were expert-informed, and included dedicated sections on Violence Against Indigenous Women, Human/Sex Trafficking, Femicide and more.
  • A Research Background & Literature Review that explored portrayals of GBV in the media, with an Indigenous-specific section.
  • A Journalist’s Scorecard, a tool created to support media professionals’ usage of Aura Freedom’s Guidelines on GBV in the Media.
  • An Online Resource Centre to house all project info, tools, and resources, including: the guidelines, research, scorecard, a list of our National Network, our definition for Transformative Media, and more.
  • Awareness & Events to promote the issue of GBV in the Media, dissemination of the guidelines, our research, our tools, and more through partnerships, events, social media, and more. 

We are grateful to everyone who attended our launch events, both in person in Toronto our online webinar. Our launch events consisted of both a Project Presentation to introduce the project, provide a background on the project’s research, and give overview to the media guidelines, as well as a Panel Discussion that brought together experts from both the GBV and Media sectors, many of whom were National Network members. We are grateful to the numerous journalists and GBV advocates who joined us at these events, and continue to join us in this growing movement dedicated to combating GBV through the power of media.

Together, we have created a project that seeks to radically change the way gender-based violence is viewed and addressed in our communities.

Watch the recap of our Toronto launch!

Toronto launch - March 20, 2023.

We first launched our GBV In The Media project on March 20th at the Globe and Mail Centre in Toronto. This event was designed for journalists, media professionals and VAW/GBV advocates to connect over the importance of transformative media reporting of GBV, and share thoughts on how we can collaborate to make it happen.

A thank you to our amazing panelists:

  • Firdaus Ali, Canadian Centre of Muslim Women & Journalist
  • Ci Ci Fan, Independent Journalist
  • Pamela Hart, Native Women’s Resource Centre of Toronto
  • Carla Neto, Women’s Habitat of Etobicoke
  • Moderated by our own Executive Director, Marissa Kokkoros

Online launch - March 26, 2023.

To provide an opportunity for those across Canada unable to attend our Toronto launch, we hosted a virtual launch on March 26th with GBV advocates and media professionals from across Canada.

A thank you to our amazing panelists:

  • Laura Baziuk, Global BC
  • Nana Boateng, Elizabeth Fry Toronto
  • Myrna Dawson, Canadian Femicide Observatory
  • Elizabeth Renzetti, Journalist and Best-Selling Author
  • Benedicte Shoepflin, Canadian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse
  • Moderated by our own Executive Director, Marissa Kokkoros

Thank you

Thank you to our wonderful team members, Board members and volunteers for all their efforts!

Thank you also to the many GBV In The Media network members, panelists, and community partners who attended our launch events and engaged in the conversation.

Of course, a huge thank you to Women and Gender Equality Canada for funding this important work and a special thank you to Forsman & Bodenfors, Tottographs, and Insert Marketing for their support.

Toronto Launch Event - full photo gallery

Aura Freedom acknowledges the support of Women and Gender Equality Canada

EmpowerU – Sharing Human Trafficking Knowledge

EmpowerU – Sharing Human Trafficking Knowledge

In honour of National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, Aura Freedom hosted EmpowerU, a special online event where we invited youth, youth-serving frontline workers, community organizations, advocates, educators, parents/guardians, healthcare workers, and other stakeholders invested in eradicating human trafficking and gender-based violence in Ontario and beyond. 

During this event, we hosted a Panel Discussion and Community Dialogue with anti-human trafficking advocates, activists, and frontline workers who shared their insights on sex trafficking prevention rooted in equity, intersectionality, and human rights. We also hosted a Resource Spotlight featuring different community advocates, we will shine a spotlight on various community resources, services and tools available in Ontario and Canada to advance human trafficking prevention and support survivors/those at risk.

Our goal was to EmpowerU to end exploitation and gender-based violence in your communities, enhance youth safety, and support survivors.

We are grateful to our panelists, our attendees, as well as The Regional Municipality of York Region for supporting this event!

Watch the Recording of EmpowerU:

Aura Freedom turns 10!

WATCH OUR EVENT RECAP VIDEO

Aura Freedom turns 10!

Our hearts are bursting! A heartfelt thank you to all those who came out to A Day After Freedom and celebrated 10 years of Aura Freedom with us at the legendary El Mocambo in Toronto.

There aren’t words to describe what this evening meant to us and our community. The sisterhood and siblinghood felt in the room that night was especially powerful and beautiful. It was truly a night of music, celebration, and – of course – of powerful activism. 

Here’s to decades more of the feminist movement, and of Aura Freedom. 

A Day After Freedom featured performances from Neon Nostalgic, as well as a surprise performance by our very own Executive Director, Marissa Kokkoros!

Thank you to our wonderful hosts, longtime supporter Adwoa Nsiah-Yeboah (left) and Board member Kimberley Fowler (right), for lending your broadcasting and media skills to A Day After Freedom!

Thank you to our amazing community. To our Board Members, Advisors, Staff (past and present), Partners, Supporters, Donors, and more who came out and joined us, as you do in our mission to end violence against women and girls, each and every day. 

What a night! Check out our photos.

MANY THANKS TO OUR EVENT SPONSORS:

MAIN GRASSROOTS SPONSORS:

SILENT AUCTION & PRODUCT SPONSORS:

We thank the El Mocambo for generously sponsoring a portion of our venue.

Special thanks to Neon Nostalgic for supporting our event!

Our 10-Year Anniversary Event

Our 10-Year Anniversary Event

Join us on October 18, 2023 to celebrate Aura Freedom’s 10-year anniversary at the legendary El Mocambo in Toronto. 

A Day After Freedom is an event to celebrate a decade of Aura Freedom’s work eradicating Violence Against Women and Human Trafficking…and to talk about what’s next.

October 18, 2023. 6PM. El Mocambo. 464 Spadina Ave, Toronto.

Join us for live music, art & activism! All are welcome.

Enjoy finger foods, merch for sale, a silent auction, cash bar and more – plus a live musical performance by Neon Nostalgic.

RSVP & GET TICKETS HERE

Live performance by
Neon Nostalgic

Hear from our Founder,
Marissa Kokkoros

The El Mocambo is one of Toronto's most legendary music venues.
Discover all its Rock & Roll history at your fingertips.

RSVP & GET TICKETS HERE

GRATEFUL TO OUR EVENT SPONSORS:

MAIN GRASSROOTS SPONSORS:

SILENT AUCTION & PRODUCT SPONSORS:

We thank the El Mocambo for generously sponsoring a portion of our venue.

Special thanks to Neon Nostalgic for supporting our event!

We're still looking for event sponsors!

Download our Sponsorship Package

Support the work to end violence against women and human trafficking in Canada and beyond.

Download Here

We can't wait to see you all there!