According to the World health Organization (WHO), gender-based violence (GBV) is a systemic crisis and a public health concern with life-long far-reaching consequences, impacting mental, physical, sexual and reproductive health.
GBV will only end, according to the WHO, if we all invest to prevent violence against women and girls and there is no better time to take action than now.
An internationally recognized period of activism, Nov. 25 to Dec. 10, recently came to a close. Megan Varner, director of Sexual Aggression Services, explained how her organization operates.
“Sexual aggression Peer Advocates (SAPA) is continually passionate about how sexual and domestic violence can impact everyone, especially LGBT and women," Varner said. "We as SAPA do a lot to raise awareness on sexual and other domestic violence and help folks understand how they can be helped if they know those impacted by these vices."
“There is not one out there, not even one that is not impacted by domestic violence or experienced it," Varner said. "Being there for those who have been impacted or being there for those who know someone that has been impacted by domestic violence is what we do best as SAPA." she continued to say.
Varner added that SAPA’s advocates do a good job of coming together and meeting people where they are.
“The more people know and are challenged on how they think about violence, then they are challenged to make a big change," Varner said. "With regards to sexual and domestic violence, if you notice something, act on it, if you see or hear something, no matter the level, even as a joke, say something, because it is not funny."
She said that SAPA’s advocates are consistent from the period of orientation to carrying out educational programs on campus and in their daily life interactions with the community: challenging students and faculty to shift in their way of thinking from the microlevel, dominating one on one conversions to large scale conversions on Domestic violence, especially for LGBT and other marginalized groups.
Varner said that the statistics for domestic violence were alarming, from national and international statistics, she said one in three women experience intimate partner violence (IPV) and one in every four to five women will experience sexual violence (SV).
“You are not going to sit in a residence hall or sit in a classroom and not have anyone who has been impacted directly or indirectly by IPV and sexual violence," she said. "It is therefore a clarion call for us all to do something, whether it be sharing something on social media to 'say NO TO IPV' or doing a report on sexual violence."
Varner said a small group of people can make a huge difference, and if they continue to make a difference, they will build an army and that is when we will make an impact on sexual and domestic violence.
SAPA is closed for winter break starting Dec. 15, but their text and phone lines are open 24/7 during the academic year, as a resource for anyone on campus experiencing one of these types of violence:
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