URI Peer Educators Host 'Take Back the Night' Event, April 9

As part of Sexual Assault Awareness Week, April 6-10, the Peer Educator Program at the University of Rhode Island Women’s Center will host a "Take Back the Night" program on Thursday, April 9.

The event will begin with a talk at 6 p.m. by Sarah Allen, a graduate student from Providence College. Free and open to the public, the lecture will take place at the Agnes G. Doody Auditorium in Swan Hall, 60 Upper College Road, Kingston Campus. Allen will speak about the media and societal influences that contribute to the perpetuation of rape culture. She is a member of the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) Speaker's Bureau, and has spoken at other universities on healing after sexual assault. She is working towards her M.A. degree in theology at Providence College. 

At 7 p.m., members of the community will move to the URI Quad to begin the march throughout campus. The main goal of this event is to create a community of support, empowerment, and healing.

The march will end at 8 p.m. on the Quad with a candle lit vigil to share national facts and information about campus resources and how to get involved. This will be followed by a moment of silence dedicated to anyone affected by campus based sexual assault to complete the event.

Take Back the Night is a national campaign that seeks to spread awareness regarding issues of sexual violence, and to support and empower survivors of this crime. The problem of sexual violence is one that affects many individuals. An estimated 1 in 5 women will experience sexual assault while in college and 1 in 6 men will experience sexual violence at some point in their lifetime. 

This event brings people together in a public forum to unite efforts for survivors of sexual violence who may find strength in knowing they are not alone. TBTN strengthens the community by bringing together races, faith groups, philosophies, genders, ethnicities, nationalities, sexual orientations, abilities and socioeconomic backgrounds to glean a sense of hope from this moving experience.

Click here for all events for the week.
http://web.uri.edu/womenscenter/sexual-assault-awareness-week/