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Phew, what a month! As sexual violence prevention advocates, it’s sometimes hard not to get discouraged by the amount of work ahead of us to truly eradicate interpersonal violence. And yet, as we wrap up #30daysofSAAM, I cannot help but reflect on the incredible advocacy, creativity and energy that our community (that includes you!) has put in to making this year’s SAAM a meaningful step forward in raising awareness and making change. Yes, we still have a long way to go, but we’ve come so far together and I am so proud to be in the work with all of you. -- Elise -
👖 Today the PVP staff honors Denim Day, a global campaign to raise awareness about sexual assault and show solidarity with survivors. 👖 The campaign was originally triggered by a ruling by the Italian Supreme Court where a sexual assault conviction was overturned. In a statement by the Chief Judge, he argued, “because the victim wore very, very tight jeans, she had to help him remove them, and by removing the jeans it was no longer rape but consensual sex.” 👖 The following day, the women in the Italian Parliament came to work wearing jeans in solidarity with the victim. Peace Over Violence developed the Denim Day campaign in response to this case and the activism surrounding it. Since then, wearing jeans on Denim Day has become a symbol of protest against erroneous and destructive attitudes about sexual assault. 👖You can visit PeaceOverViolence.org for more information. #Day26 of #30DaysofSAAM @nsvrc -
We couldn’t do all the work we do during Sexual Assault Awareness Month without our amazing Penn Anti-Violence Educators (PAVE)! Their energy, commitment and advocacy in delivering peer-to-peer education about consent and bystander intervention is a huge part of the change we’re trying to make for our campus community. This past week, we presented our PAVE graduating seniors with teal graduation cords to recognize their culture changing hard-work and we celebrate them for today’s #30daysofSAAM! -
On #Day17 of #30DaysofSAAM, we’re highlighting a quote from an interview with Tarana Burke, founder of the ‘MeToo’ movement: “If the past five years have taught us anything, let it be that the #MeToo movement is not a spectator sport. Its fate is not decided in the court of law or the court of public opinion. The #MeToo movement is what we make it, by how we commit to dismantling rape culture and undermining the violence it creates; it’s how we take responsibility for creating a world without sexual violence; and how we respond to the needs of the survivors who are already here.” The full piece from Tarana Burke can be found at: https://time.com/6221110/tarana-burke-me-too-anniversary/ @nsvrc -
On #Day16 of @nsvrc’s #30DaysofSAAM, I’m thinking of In the Dream House, by Carmen Maria Machado. This book is a memoir about the author’s experience with intimate partner violence within a queer relationship. I am so grateful Carmen Maria Machado was generous enough to share her story with all of us, we have so much to learn from her. I can’t recommend this book enough.
Penn Violence Prevention (PVP) engages the Penn community in the prevention of sexual violence, relationship violence, stalking, and sexual harassment on campus. We foster collaborative relationships across campus to ensure a survivor-centered, multi-faceted approach to support services and primary prevention. Through collective community action, we are committed to ending interpersonal violence by addressing gender inequity, social injustice, and oppression through outreach and education.
