It was a packed house at the London Convention Centre for the 19th annual International Women’s Day Breakfast.

The London Abused Women’s Centre’s largest annual fundraising event drew its biggest crowd yet with roughly 750 attendees and another 80 on a waiting list.

The international theme this year is Balance for Better: a call-to-action for driving gender balance across the world.

Professor of Leadership and Community Development at Brescia University College Julie Young was the keynote speaker and noted the dangers of complacency.

“I believe that all of the progress, all of the possibility, can be wiped out for thousands and thousands of these incredible and hopeful young women if we continue to fail to understand what gendered violence really is.”

Young, a survivor of intimate partner violence, says that many of our institutions aid the abuser, and enable the abuse, saying the courts, and even in some cases police, are failing women.

“Some would say the family courts are fair and balanced and would prevent such a thing. In fact, despite some judges and court workers who really strive to be fair, the system is anything but. Family court is failing battered women every single day.”

Numerous politicians were also on hand for the event, including NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and London’s mayor, Ed Holder.

— with files from 980 CFPL’s Liny Lamberink and Jake Jeffrey

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