How to take your V-Day Events Further

As many of you know February means V-Day! And no, we’re not talking about Valentine’s Day. V-Day is an organization that seeks to raise awareness about violence against women and girls as well as raise money for local beneficiaries that are working to end violence. Many student groups put on “The Vagina Monologues” or host other film screenings to raise money for their local domestic violence and rape crisis centers.

We think it’s amazing to raise awareness about violence against women and sexual assault on campus, and we are here to offer ways to take your V-Day events further. When planning events, think of ways you can change policies on campus to make it safer for the students.

Here are some questions to think about:

• How safe is your campus? Is there sufficient lighting?
• Are there emergency blue light towers on campus? Blue lights towers have emergency buttons that will connect you to 911 dispatch.
• Is there a free 24-hour student escort service?
• Does your college provide counseling services for survivors? Does your school have at least one full time staff person that works exclusively on sexual violence and education?
• Is emergency contraception available for rape survivors in school health centers?

If there is something missing on campus, fight for change! Demand more preventative measures and better response systems on campus!

Next, do you know about your sexual assault policy on campus? Is it adequate? Check out the Students Active for Ending Rape (SAFER) website for “What Makes a Better Sexual Assault Policy”

Things to look for are: student input, accessibility, due process, fairness, clear language, oversight, prevention and education, crisis intervention, accessible and accurate reporting, amnesty, long term counseling, community involvement, and sexual assault response training. Some good examples of comprehensive sexual assault policies are: The College of Holy Cross, Spelman College, Lehigh University, and University of Michigan.

If your sexual assault policy doesn’t make the cut, make sure you take action to change it! Set up meetings with the administration to discuss how to make the SA policies on campus more comprehensive.

Photo courtesy of flickr.com/samjnewman

Excited New FMF Intern and Blogger!

Hello fellow feminists! My name is Stephanie McClure and I’ll be working with the Feminist Majority Foundation as a Choices Campus Intern for the summer. I’m so excited to be blogging about feminist issues, activism ideas, and of course, engaging in awesome conversations with all of you this summer! Listed below are a few things about me:

• I just graduated from Oregon State University (OSU) with my B.A. in English.
• FMLA’s are awesome, and I was the President of the OSU Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance last year. Our FMLA did lots of Choices Campus Campaigning, as well as put on many events specific for our campus such as: Love Your Body Day; Inequality Bake Sale; Take Back the Night; OSU Feminist Film Festival; Smashing the Scales: Eating Disorder Awareness Project; Rise Up Speak Out: A Celebration of the Voice of Resistance Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence (an open mic night).
• I worked at the OSU Women’s Center last year as well, and think that all universities need to have safe empowering permanent places on their campuses such as Women's Centers.
• The Vagina Monologues is a production that I deeply believe in and think is super important to bring to all communities, and this year I was one of the performers at OSU!
• Domestic violence and sexual assault are two issues that have affected many of my loved ones, so I’m extremely passionate about working towards ending all forms of violence against women and girls.
• I’m also an ecofeminist, and believe that there is an inherent connection between the way that women and nature are controlled and impacted by systems of oppression. (Grrrr...BP!)
  

The Feminist Majority Foundation is doing so many amazing things right now, and I’m so grateful to be here in LA with such an awesome team of feminists working together to help create a safe, equal world for all! Keep up with us on our blog, facebook page, and through twitter!