Issue date: 10/25/07 Section: Campus News

Media Credit: Emily Hartwig Laurel Kieffer, a women's studies lecturer, spoke at last night's Rally to End Domestic and Dating Violence. Her speech covered gender issues in society and possible solutions to those problems.

In the United States, a woman is battered every 15 seconds, usually by her intimate partner. An estimated 1.9 million women are assaulted annually in this country.

These were among the many statistics available to students at the Rally to End Domestic and Dating Violence held Wednesday evening on the Campus Mall. The Women and Gender Equity Center hosted the event.

Senior Jeni Haddad, a WAGE Center student assistant who helped organize the event, said the rally's main goal was to educate campus and community members about domestic and dating abuse.

"It's an issue that needs to be addressed," Haddad said. "Once it is addressed, we can begin to stop it."

Haddad said WAGE has held rallies on campus about raising awareness for domestic violence in the past. This year, the rally was moved from the spring semester to correlate with Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, she said. WAGE decided to add the topic of dating violence to relate the issue more to college students.

"People think (domestic violence) can only happen to married couples in heterosexual relationships," Haddad said.

Posters and displays from groups such as the Bolton Refuge House and the Center for Awareness of Sexual Assault were available to attendees at the event.

Sarah Harless, an attorney and advocate for victims of domestic violence, focused on dating violence on college campuses in her speech. She said college students are open to controlling, violent relationships because abusers use the isolation that comes with moving to campus to their advantage.

"The abuser can seem like the nicest guy in the world to everyone except the victim," Harless said.

The other speakers at the event were Stephanie Erickson, a recent graduate of UW-Eau Claire's social work program, Kirby Harless, an attorney and residence hall director and Laurel Kieffer, a UW-Eau Claire women's studies lecturer. They discussed issues ranging from gender discrimination in the media to men's roles in attaining gender equity.

Junior Alison Harder said she believed the rally was important because of how prevalent domestic and dating violence is.

"We need to promote awareness of domestic and dating violence on campus," Harder said.

The prevailing message of the rally was telling victims to reach out to friends and family. Sarah Harless said victims should not keep quiet about abuse and seek out help.

"Make sure people are there to help you."

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