Vulnerable, ashamed, embarrassed and guilty were common words spoken by the women who shared their experiences with assault or rape last night on the Rotunda steps as part of Take Back the Night. But also common were words such as independent, empowered and strong.
The purpose of Take Back the Night was to empower the women who have endured such hardships and to raise awareness for the issue of violence against women, said Kate Hendricks, president-elect of the National Organization of Women at the University.
The most important thing women can gain from Take Back the Night "is the sense of their own power ... as individuals, but especially as individuals who are part of a broader movement" to end violence against women, national NOW President Patricia Ireland said.
Preventing violence against women is "especially pertinent on a college campus," Hendricks said.
Women should have "the utmost safety in walking the Grounds and the Lawn," Del. Alan Diamonstein (D-Newport News) said.
The event began with a rally at the Downtown Amphitheater which included speeches by Ireland, Diamonstein and Dean of Students Penny Rue.
About 400 students and community members attended the rally, followed by a march from the amphitheater to the Rotunda. At the Rotunda, people were invited to share their personal experiences with violence and rape.
One of the main themes of the night was the importance of men in ending violence against women and in helping women survivors.
In the earliest Take Back the Night marches, beginning in 1979 in New York City, men were excluded. But now there is a partnership between men and women, as allies, trying to combat violence against women, Rue said.
"To end men's violence, men have to be involved," Ireland said.
"Peer to peer organizing is the most effective" way to reach people because peers "know the pressures, the stereotypes of masculinity and they can relate in a very important way," Ireland said.
Members from One in Four, a University group of males with the purpose of educating men about what a rape survivor goes through and teaching men how to support them, attended the events last night.
"We're here as a support," said Jeff Ludwig, vice president-elect of One in Four.
Ludwig urged the men attending the rally to "educate yourselves ... learn a little bit more about what it means for these women to survive."
Daniel Penn, president-elect of One in Four, said it is important "to celebrate the progress we've made, but definitely to look to the future" to continue to decrease violence against women.
There are many resources available at the University for survivors of assault, including Sexual Assault Resource Agency, the Women's Center, the Office of the Dean of Students and peer mediators, which speakers at the events last night urged students and the Charlottesville community to use.
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