Home / Fall 2012 / WGST kicks off Domestic Violence Awareness month

WGST kicks off Domestic Violence Awareness month

The month of October, for the Women and Gender’s Studies department, is Domestic Violence Awareness month.

WGST has planned a few events to help spread awareness of domestic violence—particularly domestic violence against women. Some of the faculty and staff from WGST involved in the cause are: Dr. Tracy Woodard-Meyers, Teresa Paliwoda, Helen Wishart, Dr. Mark George, Andrea Ramirez, Felicia Hilson and grad assistants, interns and students in the department for work-study.

Dorothy Sumner, secretary of WGST, has been working with the cause for about two years.

“We all work as a group to get the word out,” Sumner said. “A lot of times domestic violence is not something that’s out there […] it’s not always deemed as important of an issue. Sometimes, when a person does not feel comfortable talking about [domestic violence issues] they’ll come [to WGST] about it, and talk to a female here.”

According to statistics released by the Domestics Violence Resource Center, one in four women could experience some form of domestic violence in their life.

Reportedly, 50 percent of men who abuse their wives will abuse their children as well.

WGST is working to put the focus on domestic abuse and find healing for those struggling through it.

“We usually start [planning] at the end of the month—of October of last year—we were already looking at this year what we were going to do, how we were going to do it,” Sumner said.

The month will be full of campaigns and events to enlighten the community. This week began with their purple ribbon campaign.

The campaign uses flyers with information and attached purple ribbons to spread the news of the cause.

Oct. 8-12, WGST plans to host their annual Clothesline Project on the Pedestrian Mall, where the department will display a large clothesline full of t-shirts, decorated with encouragement and personal experiences.

The goal to get the community more involved in the discussion sparked a need to give students, faculty and staff a chance to be more hands-on with the cause.

This year, WGST will have a booth set up for people to decorate their own shirts to be hung up around campus.

On Oct. 22, Father Roy Bourgeois will attend the WGST  Lecture Series as a guest speaker. His lecture is titled, “The Struggle for Justice in Latin America and Gender Equality in U.S. Churches.”

Oct. 23-25, WGST will host the Handprint Project on the Pedestrian Mall. The event is a way to get males more involved. Although, the department wants as many people as possible to get involved.

WGST recognizes all domestic violence, but notices the severity of it when it is males versus females. Males in the community are given a chance to take a pledge against violence, and seal it with their handprint.

Information will be given out to all participants about domestic violence against women, and what can be done to help those in need.

For more information on the upcoming events and what can be done to help, visit WGST at www.valdosta.edu/womenstudies, or call 249-4842.

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