IN THIS ISSUE
- Letter from CEO, Keri McLain, Ph.D.
- Our Focus for This Issue: Sexual Assault Awareness
- Bystander Intervention is Contagious!
- Ending Violence: One Green Dot at a Time"
- What's So Scary About the "F" Word? Men Speak Out on Feminism...
- A Call to Men
- Sexual Violence & the Media Intersect in REALLY Poor Taste...
- Community Leaders Join YWCA Board of Directors
- Joleen Callahan Transitions to Emeritus Board
- Save the Date: YWCA TWIN Awards
Letter from CEO, Keri McLain, Ph.D.
Dear Friends of the YWCA Silcon Valley:
Welcome to the Spring Edition of the YWCA's newsletter. We value the close ties we have with you—our friends and supporters—and appreciate this occasion to update you with news from your YWCA Silicon Valley.
As you may know, April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and I look forward to seeing you at our upcoming 10th Annual Walk A Mile In Her Shoes® event:
- Wednesday, April 18, 4:00 registration & shoe selection, 5:00 pm walk
- Plaza de Cesar Chavez (in front of the Fairmont Hotel, on Market Street between San Carlos & San Fernando)
- Downtown San Jose
Learn more about our WAM event and be sure to register. I hope to see you there.
Warm regards,
P.S. To the awesome men in our community, we have "her" shoes to fit ALL sizes! On behalf of your mother, your sister, your aunt, your daughter, your niece, your grandmother, and any other important woman in your life, please sign up today.
Our Focus for This Issue: Sexual Assault Awareness
Here's just one sobering fact to consider:
Every 2 minutes in the United States, someone experiences sexual violence
Unfortunately, Silicon Valley is not exempt from this and other daunting sexual violence statistics. Since the first national observation of SAAM in 2001, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) has provided resources to help individuals and organizations plan SAAM activities in their communities during April and throughout the year. Watch NSVRC’s It’s Time… To Talk About It video and go to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) website to learn more.
What is the YWCA Silicon Valley doing on a local level to address Sexual Assault issues?
We’ve highlighted below some of the powerfully relevant programs and strategies in which your YWCA Silicon Valley continues to engage. Please also check out the complete list of the Sexual Assault prevention and intervention services the YWCA Silicon Valley provides.
Please also check out the complete list...
PREVENTION SERVICES:
- CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION PROGRAM (CAPP) is an interactive and age appropriate presentation that teaches children to recognize, resist, and report abuse.
- TEEN EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM(TEP) is an interactive curriculum that addresses the realities of sexual abuse, dating violence, gender socialization, and sexual harassment while promoting healthy communication skills and bystander intervention.
- PROFESSIONAL TRAINING is available for organizations and workplaces on issues of victimology, Rape Trauma Syndrome, the identification and reporting of child abuse, and crisis intervention.
- GREEN DOT is a comprehensive approach to violence prevention that capitalizes on the power of peer and cultural influence across all levels of the social-ecological model. The overarching goal of Green Dot is to mobilize a force of engaged and proactive bystanders in an effort to end sexual violence.
- MYSTRENGTH and OUR STRENGTH are high school clubs that educate adolescents and empower them to prevent sexual violence. The MyStrength Clubs provide male youth with an opportunity to take a leadership role in preventing sexual violence in their communities. The Clubs explore the harmful connections between masculinity and the epidemic of men’s violence. These Clubs utilize a positive approach to the issue of sexual violence by focusing on redefining masculinity in ways that promote non-violent models of manhood and healthy relationships. The MyStrength Clubs seek to build capacity of young men to become peer leaders and allies with women in promoting gender equality and ending men’s violence. The YWCA Rape Crisis Center currently facilitates 3 Clubs in Eastside Union High Schools.
Quotes from MyStrength Club members:
My Strength is a club that discusses how we all can help prevent any unacceptable act against women. Our vision is to have a world that is free from sexual violence and we should make this vision reality. For this to happen we as men should do our part and not mistreat women. In many societies women are considered inferior which make guys think it is okay to treat women badly. For some men, being a “real man” is to treat women like they are toys. After being in the club I now understand that being a real man does not mean calling a girl something other than her name, or treating women with disrespect is ever okay.”
INTERVENTION SERVICES:
- RAPE CRISIS HOTLINE is available for 24/7 access to confidential counselors.
- ACCOMPANIMENT is available for survivors to the hospital, police station, and through court proceedings.
- ADVOCACY is available on behalf of survivors to law enforcement officials, the district attorney’s office, and other public agencies.
- CONFIDENTIAL COUNSELING is available on an individual and group basis with certified rape crisis counselors.
- INFORMATION AND REFERRALS to partner organizations, such as health clinics, long-term counselors, and victim assistance organizations is available.
YWCA Rape Crisis Center
Last year the YWCA’s Rape Crisis Center (RCC) served 1,300+ clients through our intervention services, and additionally provided sexual violence awareness and prevention education to more than 11,000. Sexual violence affects every part of our community, and deteriorates society as a whole. The YWCA Rape Crisis Center works to end the silence and shame around sexual violence by being proactive, raising visibility, and challenging the stigma about this pervasive issue. This is done with intention of garnering broader social change, ultimately leading to the eradication of sexual violence.
For more information about how the YW’s RCC helps sexual assault victims at their time of need, and helps transition each from victim to survivor, please check out the Rape Crisis Center section of our website. You can also view a complete list of YWCA Silicon Valley agency-wide prevention and intervention services [link to Prevention and Intervention Services copy in previous article].
Walk A Mile In Her Shoes ®
Are you “man enough” to Walk a Mile in Her Shoes®? Do you know a man that is “man enough” to Walk a Mile in Her Shoes®? Now in our 10th year of sponsoring this event, the YWCA Silicon Valley brings together men and women to walk (in high heels) from Plaza de Cesar Chavez through the streets of downtown San Jose to heighten awareness of staggering sexual assault statistics and the impact of sexual assault in our community,.
- Nearly 1 in 2 women (44.6%) and 1 in 5 men (22.2%) experience sexual violence other than rape throughout their lifetime.
- Nearly 1 in 5 women have been raped in their lifetime while 1 in 71 men have been raped in their lifetime.
Event Details
| Date: | Wednesday, April 18, 2012 |
| Time: | Day-of Registration and shoe pick up begins at 4 pm, Walk begins at 5 pm |
| Location: | Plaza de Cesar Chavez, Downtown San Jose |
Register here. Please join us!
Green Dot Movement at De Anza College
The YWCA has been running the “green dot” movement at De Anza College in Cupertino with the goal of consistently and measurably reducing power-based personal violence (including sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, child abuse, elder abuse and bullying). Learn more about the inspiring Living the Green Dot movement!
Bystander Intervention is Contagious!
Think you may be witnessing something that’s just not right? Find out what you should do.
- TAKE A SECOND LOOK. Trust yourself to know whether you should investigate and possibly step in.
- CHECK IN with the person you think might be harmed. A simple act can make a huge difference.
- BRING THE ISSUE HOME. How would you want someone to act if the victim were you or a loved one?
- UTILIZE APPROPRIATE INTERVENTION STRATEGIES. If directly intervening in a situation is too dangerous or uncomfortable, try distracting the potential perpetrator or delegating intervention tasks to other bystanders. If anyone is at risk of immediate danger, call 911.
- KNOW THAT BYSTANDER INTERVENTION IS CONTAGIOUS. Your actions will inspire and help create a culture of bystanders who are actively engaged in the prevention of violence.
"Ending Violence: One Green Dot at a Time"
The YWCA Rape Crisis Center was chosen by the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA) as one of eight pilot sites to facilitate the Green Dot movement. We have been administering the Green Dot movement on De Anza college campus. Learn more about this powerful Living the Green Dot movement!
What's So Scary About the "F" Word? Men Speak Out on Feminism...
In his insightful article, Why I Am a Black Male Feminist, Byron Hurt, filmmaker and activist, describes how he came to embrace his feminist self. Hurt describes his trajectory as involving his personal experiences with violence in the home, a recognition of how he himself was using his male privilege to assert his power over his female partners as an adult, and finally, his work with Jackson Katz through the Mentors in Violence Prevention program.
The path that Hurt and other (wo)men take as they embrace feminism is challenging. It entails taking stock of past and present behaviors and attitudes and assessing them in the context of how they perpetuate male violence, a symptom of patriarchy. That is, it requires that (wo)men consider how they have supported and perpetuated patriarchy. However, the result is liberating.
According to Hurt, “Not only does feminism give woman a voice, but it also clears the way for men to free themselves from the stranglehold of traditional masculinity. When we hurt the women in our lives, we hurt ourselves, and we hurt our community, too.”
A Call to Men
The website, A Call To Men is committed to ending violence against women. Targeted at a male audience, the site is for and about Men working Together, Men Standing Together, Redefining Manhood.
Check out Tony Porter’s A call to men video, too.
Sexual Violence & the Media Intersect in REALLY Poor Taste...
Triggering Media
An excellent resource for sexual assault survivors, this list was compiled by survivors and allies to pre-warn survivors about potentially triggering material in books and movies. It is, by no means, a list of books and movies [link to http://www.pandys.org/escapinghades/triggeringmedia.html] ]to avoid--some of the books and movies can actually be very powerful and healing—but the site’s primary goal is to prepare anyone who may be more sensitive to these subjects.
In REALLY Poor Taste...
There are definitely intersections between sexual violence and ads to promote alcohol sales and consumption. In a recent article appearing in the Miami New Times, Belvedere vodka was heavily criticized after releasing an advertisement depicting a man grabbing a woman from behind with the quote “Unlike some people, Belvedere vodka always goes down smoothly.” This article also brings attention to ten other alcohol ads that perpetuate a rape-supportive culture. Read the article.
Sexual Violence in War
Why is rape so prevalent in war? Gloria Steinem speaks with Lauren Wolfe, Director of women Under Siege, on ending rape in war.
Healing Sexual Assault Through Art
Photographer Grace Brown started Project Unbreakable in October 2011 to help heal survivors of sexual assault through art. She photographs survivors holding posters with quotes their rapists used while assaulting them. She also accepts submissions of photos survivors take themselves. Watch the video.
If you are interested in participating by either being photographed or sending in your own image, you may send her an email at projectunbreakable@gmail.com with the subject line "Photograph Me" or "Submission", depending on the circumstance.
Community Leaders Join YWCA Board of Directors
The YWCA Silicon Valley is excited to announce its newest Board of Directors’ members:
- Sharada Bose, R & D Management, Hewlett Packard
- Joyce Chuang, Marketing and Business Development Coordinator, Orrick, Herrington and Sutcliffe LLP
- Nora Denzel, Senior Vice President, Big Data, Social Design and Marketing, Intuit, Inc.
- Neysa Fligor, Deputy County Counsel, County of Santa Clara
- Maryanne Flynn, Director of Operations, Cisco Systems
- Sandra Jewett, Principal, Vinci Park School
- Jayashree Rangarajan, Director, Software Development, Xilinx
Joleen Callahan Transitions to Emeritus Board
Longtime YW board member Joleen Callahan has transitioned to the Emeritus Board. A member of the YWCA Board of Directors since the 1970s, Joleen served as Board President from 1985-1987.
During Joleen’s time on the YW Board, she served on the following committees and subcommittees:
- Annual Campaign
- Major Gifts
- Fund Development
- Annual Luncheon
- Tribute to women and Industry (TWIN) Awards
We are grateful for all of Joleen’s support and guidance, helping the YWCA meet the needs of women and families in our community.
Save the Date: YWCA TWIN Awards
28th Annual YWCA TWIN (Tribute to Women in Industry) Awards Dinner
| Date: | Thursday, May 10, 2012 |
| Time: | 5:30 pm |
| Location: | The Fairmont Hotel 170 S. Market Street San Jose |
For additional information or to RSVP, please contact the YWCA's Events Manager, LaDonna Curteman, at events@ywca-sv.org or (408) 295-4011 x216.