WSU Women’s Center to Hold Virtual Events to Recognize Domestic Violence Awareness Month
OGDEN, Utah – As part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month this October, Weber State University’s Women’s Center will hold virtual events to educate the community about domestic violence, an issue of increasing concern as people spend more time at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On campus since 1980, the Women’s Center at Weber State is a resource for students, faculty and staff that focuses on violence prevention education and services for survivors of domestic or dating violence, sexual assault, harassment and stalking. During Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), the center honors the experiences of survivors and offers prevention education to help people create healthy relationships, said Paige Davies, center director.
“In Utah, sometimes there is a stigma around saying your family isn’t picture perfect,” Davies said. “We have a huge emphasis on family in this state, which is great, and sometimes that emphasis can really make it hard for people who are struggling at home to feel confident in reaching out for help.”
For DVAM 2020 at Weber State, events include a virtual workshop, Oct. 8 at 11 a.m., where participants can learn about creating healthy relationships; a film festival called Lunafest, which will be live-streamed, Oct. 21 at noon; and the “Clothesline Project,” an exhibit of T-shirts made by or in honor of domestic violence survivors, which will be on display from Oct. 5-30 in the Shepherd Union Atrium. All events are open to the community.
Community members can also follow @WeberStateWomensCenter on Facebook and Instagram, where updates on the center’s education campaign will be posted throughout October.
The Lunafest Film Festival is a virtual, ticketed event that will feature several short films “by, for and about women,” Davies said. General admission tickets are free, but they can also be purchased with a donation of $5 or $10. This event is the center’s annual fundraiser for its Safe@Weber Survivor Emergency Fund, which supports survivors of domestic violence in purchasing food, gas, emergency phones or other necessities.
“We use our emergency fund to offset costs that survivors might not have expected,” Davies said. “These are low-end expenses that we might not think of as being a barrier, but they can be a barrier for people to access safety.”
All proceeds from Lunafest ticket sales will go to the Safe@Weber Survivor Emergency Fund, Davies said. After procuring tickets, participants will be provided with a link to the films. Ticket holders can pick up prepackaged concession bags from the Women’s Center prior to the virtual event.
The Women’s Center will also participate in a DVAM 2020 virtual event held by domestic violence shelters across the state. This event will be live streamed Saturday, Oct. 17, at 7 p.m. by Your Community Connection of Ogden and Northern Utah (YCC), an area non-profit that provides a host of services for survivors of domestic violence.
Those who aren’t immediately touched by domestic violence are still encouraged to participate.
“If you haven’t yet, you probably will experience domestic violence in your future, maybe not as a primary victim, but as a secondary witness or confidant,” said Kelly Larsen, Safe@Weber peer educator at the Women’s Center and child and housing advocate at YCC. “We want you to go into that experience with a set of tools to feel empowered to help a victim in the future.”
These events are one way for community members to learn about and help address domestic violence, which has been on the rise during the COVID-19 pandemic. Like other domestic violence crisis lines across the state, the 24/7 crisis line run by YCC has experienced a jump in calls since the pandemic began. From October through December 2019, the YCC crisis line received 613 calls, according to Margaret Rose, executive director of YCC, who shared this data with the Ogden City Council at its Sept. 15 meeting. As the pandemic progressed from April through June 2020, the number of calls jumped to 2,393, almost quadrupling since the fall.
At the same meeting, the Ogden City Council declared October 2020 Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Ogden City. In the declaration, the council also recognized Weber State’s Women’s Center and YCC as crucial resources for community members experiencing domestic violence.
“This month is an opportunity to help our community promote and protect safety and freedom of all who seek refuge from this terrible crime,” said Marcia White, Ogden City Council member, reading the council’s declaration. “We appreciate the efforts of YCC of Ogden, Weber State University's Women's Center and all other institutions and organizations that encourage domestic violence awareness throughout our community.”
Weber State students, staff or faculty who are experiencing domestic violence, harassment or other abuse can contact the Women’s Center at 801-626-6090 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m, Monday-Friday, to learn more about Safe@Weber Advocacy Services. The center also has a list of community resources available on its webpage.
For photos, visit the following links.
wsuucomm.smugmug.com/Press-Release-Photos/2020-photos/September-2020/i-ntPKv24/A
wsuucomm.smugmug.com/Press-Release-Photos/2020-photos/September-2020/i-gZnxz8L/A
wsuucomm.smugmug.com/Press-Release-Photos/2020-photos/September-2020/i-S7hQv6g/A
For more news about Weber State University, visit weber.edu/wsutoday.
Megan Olsen, Office of Marketing & Communications
801-626-7948 • meganolsen9@weber.edu- Contact:
Paige Davies, Women's Center director
801-626-6090 • paigedavies1@weber.eduKelly Larsen, Safe@Weber peer educator
801-548-6341 • kellylarsen@weber.edu