Aim to spur more open debate on sexual violence
Events organised for Rape Awareness Week
SEXUAL violence can be a difficult topic to talk about, but events organised next week will hopefully dispel some myths and encourage students to discuss it more openly, a group from the University of Otago says.
Students Against Sexual Violence — Otago has organised a lineup of events for Rape Awareness Week, which runs from Monday to May 6.
Group member Monique Mulholland said New Zealand had some of the ‘‘worst statistics’’ when it came to sexual violence.
‘‘It’s about starting that conversation that sexual violence is not OK,’’ she said.
Green MP Jan Logie, undersecretary to the Minister of Justice, will be speaking on Monday in the University Union Common Room on Monday at 1pm.
Other events include a screening of US documentary The Hunting Ground about sexual assault on US campuses.
There will also be an exhibition entitled ‘‘What I Was Wearing’’ in the student union hall, to combat the idea victims’ clothing is relevant, and a poetry evening at the University Book Shop.
Student Sinead Gill said everyone was aware that rape happened, but it was a conversation ‘‘noone has’’.
It affected people from all different walks of life and was not only a women’s issue, Ms Gill said.
A panel event on how sexual violence affected people who identified as queer was happening on Monday evening and was designed to show the diversity of people’s experiences.
The Otago University Students’ Association was also getting involved, holding a clothes swap fundraiser on Thursday.
Student Laura Cairns said the university had allowed the group to use the space free of charge, and other organisations, such as Campus Greens and Rape Crisis, had been very supportive.
‘‘Everyone was really happy as soon as we explained what we were doing,’’ Ms Cairns said.
Niall Campbell, who is also involved in the group, said after the Me Too movement more people and been coming forward and talking about their experiences, which was encouraging.
Volunteers would be on hand to help anyone attending the events who wanted to talk about their own experiences.
The week will coincide with the opening of the university’s sexual assault dropin centre on Tuesday, the first such centre for students in New Zealand.
Donations collected during the week would go to Rape Crisis, Women’s Refuge and Shakti, a charity set up to help women within the Asian, African and Middle Eastern communities in New Zealand.
❛ It’s about starting that conversation that sexual
violence is not OK