Take Back the Night

March is Women's History Month, and April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. That means that DePaul students have 61 full days to learn, commemorate and educate others about women's issues and stopping sexual violence. And of course, April 23 will mark DePaul's annual Take Back the Night rally and protest, right here on the campus.

In years past, Take Back the Night has been marked not only by a rally and protest on campus, but by awareness events. I will never forget the first time I saw the white t-shirts hung around the SAC pit, decorated by victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The drawings, poems, and confessions tugged at the heartstrings and brought the issue of sexual violence to everyone's attention in a way that was impossible to ignore or forget.

Violence seems like something that always happens to someone else, but according to Take Back the Night's Facebook group, one in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. That makes it even more important to educate both men and women within the DePaul community about domestic and sexual violence to prevent it from happening in the future.

Any student who is interested in getting involved with Take Back the Night personally or with a student group should join the Facebook group and start researching! It's never too early to stand up for women's rights, and let us all work together to make sure that it will never be too late.