From Awareness to Action: Women’s Resource Centre’s Second Annual Purple Thursday Gala

Hamilton, Bermuda – On October 16, 2025, the Women’s Resource Centre (WRC) hosted its second annual Purple Thursday Gala at Pier 6 in Hamilton, uniting 100 attendees representing a broad cross-section of the community. From legislators and government officials to advocates, corporate partners, law enforcement, and community leaders, the evening underscored a shared commitment to ending domestic abuse through collaboration, accountability, and action.

Purple Thursday is recognised internationally as a day of solidarity with survivors of domestic abuse. WRC’s annual gala transforms this day into a movement - shifting the focus from raising awareness to driving meaningful change. Hosted by Restorative Practitioner and WRC partner Sloane Johnson, and featuring entertainment by award-winning musician Tino Martinez, the evening blended reflection, challenge, and hope.

In attendance were key decision-makers and influencers, including the Minister of Youth, Social Development and Seniors, The Hon. Tinee Furbert; the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, The Hon. Kim Wilkerson; Senator Lindsay Simmons; MP Robin Tucker; the Bermuda Police Service Domestic Abuse Liaison Officer, Jalyn Jodi Zuill; the Government’s and Centre Against Abuse’s Domestic Abuse Social Worker, Kayla Simmons; and the Permanent Secretary of Health, Keisha Tuckett. WRC was intentional in bringing these leaders into the room, recognising that advancing the protection of survivors and reforming systems requires true partnership between those with lived experience, those providing support, and those with the power to enact change.

The highlight of the night was the keynote address by McKenzie-Kohl Tuckett, a recent University of Bristol Law graduate, 2025 Lincoln’s Inn Scholar, and advocate for women and girls. Her bold, unflinching message called Bermuda to confront both the visible and hidden layers of domestic abuse. Ms. Tuckett underscored that domestic abuse is not a private issue but a community problem rooted in unhealed trauma, patriarchy, silence, and systemic failure. She presented a clear roadmap for moving from awareness to action—calling for a justice system that protects rather than delays, consistent enforcement of protection orders, trauma-informed and accountable policing, prevention through education and cultural change, and national structures that coordinate efforts and measure real progress.

She connected these systemic challenges to the broader social issues facing Bermuda, noting that “silence doesn’t only claim today’s victims; it shapes tomorrow’s offenders.” The Centre Against Abuse reports that children who grow up in abusive homes are 37% more likely to join gangs, 50% more likely to abuse drugs, and 74% more likely to commit violent crime.

“These are not just statistics,” Ms. Tuckett emphasised. “They are mirrors showing us what happens when trauma goes unhealed, when pain becomes inheritance. Secondary victims breed secondary consequences.”

“Those consequences touch every corner of our community, from the classroom to the courtroom, from the playground to the prison. This is the true implication of domestic abuse: that every time we fail to intervene, we risk raising another generation whose pain spills into every corner of our society, much like what we are experiencing at present.”

Ms. Tuckett also addressed the common refrain “men are victims too” with a powerful reframing: “Acknowledging the disproportionate violence faced by women does not erase male victims, and fighting for women’s safety does not exclude men. It’s the same fight… To those who say, ‘Men are victims too,’ I say this: then join us.”

In her remarks, WRC Executive Director Juanae Crockwell reminded the audience of the real lives behind the statistics. Between April 2024 and March 2025, 63 women sought support from WRC specifically for domestic abuse-related issues—63 women who were afraid, overwhelmed, uncertain, and searching for safety. Every single one of these women was offered case management and referral support, professional counselling, and access to hardship assistance to help meet their basic needs and begin rebuilding their lives.

“At WRC, we believe that when women are supported, they can build—or rebuild—lives of safety, self-sufficiency, and joy,” Crockwell said. “But we cannot do this work alone. Domestic abuse is not a private issue; it is a community issue. And if it affects all of us, then all of us must be part of the solution.”

To ensure that every woman continues to have access to these life-changing services, WRC used the gala to launch its newest initiative—the WRC Circle of Support. The Circle of Support is a community-driven movement designed to create consistent, sustainable funding for WRC’s essential services. The goal is to engage 1,000 women to commit to $30 per month or $360 annually, creating a reliable income stream that ensures no woman is turned away from the support she needs.

“The Circle of Support is not just about donations—it is about solidarity,” said Crockwell. “It is women standing with women. It is our community choosing action over awareness. It is how we make support a promise, not a privilege.”

The 2025 Purple Thursday Gala was more than a fundraising event—it was a gathering of accountability, courage, and hope. It challenged Bermuda to confront silence, uplift survivors, and build systems grounded in justice, healing, and prevention. As WRC continues its mission, the organisation remains committed to working alongside government, corporate partners, service providers, and community members to ensure that survivors are not only heard, but protected.