Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention Week
Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention (DVAP) week started this monday, October 17th! I figured this goes perfectly with the focus for my blog: empowering women in history and around the world today. DVAP week is very important around the world and especially on college campuses. It is something that is very close to my heart, because Alpha Chi Omega’s philanthropy is domestic violence awareness and prevention.
To kick off the week AXO is teaming up with Lehigh University’s Women’s Center and Lehigh Valley Turning Point to hold events around campus! You can find AXO sisters in purple around campus to show our support. Additionally, we are selling purple ribbons at the UC.
My favorite event is the clothesline project. This project is run by the Women’s Shelter and all of AXO is participating in this creative and empowering project. You can go down to the UC front lawn and decorate a shirt to show your support of ending domestic violence.
Bottom line– domestic violence can happen to anyone anywhere. Everyone, women AND men, need to help end domestic violence. Best way to start: participate in some DVAP Week events around campus. Come help out and show your support!
(Clothesline Project)
kimmy rae goldberg 
I love the activity as it keeps the issue on people’s radar. The first step (of so many) in ending domestic violence is to take away the cultural shame about it by bringing the discussion out in the open. I see the clothesline project as a way “to air the dirty laundry.” It may be difficult for a current cultural awareness to remember – but there was (and in some places remains) so much shame about domestic violence, that the only thing a battered person would do is hide. This brings the issue away from shame, and personal pain – into healing. But — for victims, this is a long, and difficult recovery. Being battered defines a person for the rest of their lives.