Sexual Violence Response Leads Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Denim Day Activities in April
In honor of national Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Columbia Health Sexual Violence Response (SVR) every year hosts a number of awareness, education, and advocacy events aimed at preventing sexual violence and fostering a respectful community.
The month kicked off with the annual Jeanne Clery Lecture Series, established by Constance Clery BC ’53 and Howard Clery, Jr. in memory of their daughter, Jeanne Clery. This year’s lecture, the 14th in this series, was entitled “Body Sovereignty & Kids: How We Can Cultivate a Culture of Consent.” Monica Rivera, Director of Colorado State University’s Women and Gender Advocacy Center, discussed the context of interpersonal violence and the need to engage youth about consent as early as possible, while sharing strategies to avoid unintentionally undermining the concept of consent in interactions with children.
SVR staff also hosted two “Engaging Male Identified Students to Foster a Compassionate Community” workshops for staff and faculty. Renowned speaker, advocate and expert Dr. Jackson Katz discussed ways professionals can engage male-identified students in fostering a safe, compassionate gender inclusive community.
Nearly 300 members of the Columbia University community signed the Denim Day Pledge and more than a hundred attended the Denim Day Rally on April 24 at Lerner Hall – Roone Arledge Auditorium. The Denim Day Campaign was created in 1998 in response to the Italian Supreme Court overturning a rape conviction because the justices felt that since the victim was wearing tight jeans, she must have helped her rapist remove them, thereby implying consent.
Attendees heard from La-Verna Fountain, former Vice President, Strategic Communications and Construction Business Initiatives in Columbia University Facilities & Operations and SVR student volunteers, who all spoke about the importance of speaking up and standing in support of survivors and working together to end sexual violence in our communities.
