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Assault awareness promoted

April 9, 2002 By John Lucas

With more than 25 events scheduled, this year’s Sexual Assault Awareness Week has been expanded to the full month of April.

Lori Henn, UW–Madison relationship violence prevention coordinator, says that students and the Associated Students of Madison Safety Committee, in particular, have made awareness and prevention efforts a major priority.

“Students have made an incredible impact by taking up this issue,” she says. “They’re taking action and developing their own response. So many things are happening, we couldn’t fit them into a single week.”

A performance by “The Wind-Up Dolls,” a Milwaukee-based troupe of feminist improvisational performers, will be one of the highlights of the month of activities, lectures and rallies, Henn says.

The group addresses student issues such as sexual assault, body image and alcohol in a thought-provoking and often humorous way. “The Wind-Up Dolls” will perform at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 25 in 165 Bascom Hall.

In addition to special events, University Health Services, in partnership with Dane County, is continuing its “I Have the Courage, We Have the Power to Stop Sexual Assault,” poster campaign that emphasizes that men and women are organizing to help prevent sexual assault.

UW–Madison also recently conducted an anonymous campuswide survey to gauge attitudes toward and prevalence of sexual assault.

Other Sexual Assault Awareness Month activities include:

  • A panel discussion on alcohol and sexual assault, 7 p.m. Thursday, April 11, Red Gym, 716 Langdon St. For information, call Madison Police Lt. Stephanie Bradley-Wilson, (608) 267-1194.
  • PAVE (Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment) Conference of Healing, 9 a.m. Saturday, April 13, at Union South, 227 N. Randall St. The session will include speakers and workshops presented by students and organizations from the Madison community. Call (608) 698-7283.
  • Antiviolence rally, noon Thursday, April 18, Library Mall. Call Nidhi Kashyap, Campus Women’s Center, (608) 262-8093.
  • The annual Take Back the Night Rally and March, 5 p.m. Saturday, April 20, state Capitol steps.
  • The Silent Witness Project/Clothesline Project, April 23-26, Library Mall. The event includes visual representations of student, faculty and staff experiences with sexual assault.