The University’s Women’s Center held Red Flag Week to spread information on sexual and partner violence in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Red Flag Week began Tuesday, Oct. 13 and ended Thursday, Oct. 15. The week was aimed at bringing attention to the reality of domestic violence through two projects, the Red Flag Campaign and the Clothesline Project.
Amber Wang, an intern for the Gender Violence and Social Change program at the Women’s Center and a second-year College student, said the various signs of emotional abuse are known as “red flags.”
“Red flags can include excessive texting (whether sending to or receiving from a partner), being jealous of a partner spending time with other people, pressuring a partner to have sex, constant verbal put-downs either in private or public (i.e. body shaming),” Wang said in an email statement.
The Clothesline Project is meant to demonstrate the extent of the problem of violence against women and to help in the healing process for survivors and those who have lost a loved one.
Claire Kaplan, director of the gender violence and social change program at the Women’s Center, said the Clothesline Project added to the overall initiative.
“We put both things on display because the Clothesline Project is such a moving thing and it brings people over, but the Red Flag Campaign is really the larger awareness project,” Kaplan said.
The Clothesline Project originated in 1990 in Hyannis, Massachusetts, when survivors and their supporters hung shirts on a clothesline to represent the problem of violence against women. For over 25 years, communities all over the United States and across the world share in the event to provide a vehicle for women to express by decorating a shirt.
Kaplan said she believes that having different intersecting events and campaigns on Grounds is imperative to the prevention of domestic violence.
“We are taking advantage of this opportunity to increase students’ understanding of what this is and what the signs are and what you can do when you see this situation,” Kaplan said.
However, Wang said active participation is imperative to making the necessary change.
“In order to prevent violence from occurring within our community, everyone must take a stand and do his or her part by speaking up before matters get worse,” Wang said.
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