Josh Cadji

State Hornet

To fight the battle against rape, women are gathering in highernumbers than ever to show their strength and unity. And to win thebattle, men are joining the fight, as well. The allies are strongerthan ever.

Sacramento State’s Women’s Resource Center, focusingon promoting gender equally among students, is co-sponsoringtonight’s Women Take Back the Night event at the ResidenceHalls Quad, at 6 p.m.

Women Take Back the Night is a global event, taking placeannually since 1976, according to Women Take Back The Night’sWeb site. The highlight of the Women Take Back The Night event is apassionate march of thousands of women through the dark citystreets at night, taking those streets back that were onceinhabited by the fear and trepidation of women.

The event is not exclusively for women, though.

Men are starting to catch on; they know that for the next stepto be taken in winning this fight, they will have to be present toshow that no one is tolerant of rape.

Mark Sittig, president of the UC Davis Men Acting Against Rapeorganization, was concerned about rape against women at and awayfrom UC Davis, so he decided to not only speak up against rape, butactually take a stand &- set an example for other men &-and act against it.

“More men don’t get involved because it is adifficult subject to talk about; it has always been seen as awomen’s issue,” Sittig says. “Once menwho’ve wanted to get involved in preventing rape see our cluband other men becoming active, that will make them more comfortablein supporting the cause.”

First-year criminal justice major Jarett Haggmark plans toattend. “I have a friend that’s been raped in my houseduring a party, so going to this event is one way I can continue toshow my support for her,” Haggmark says.

According to the United States Department of Justice, one inevery four college women have either been raped or have been thevictim of an attempted rape; only 16 percent of all rapes arereported.

Men Acting Against Rape is there not only to prevent theperpetuation of rape and rape myths, but also to lend a helpinghand to anyone wanting to talk about her experience with rape orthe hurt received resulting from a loved one being raped.

Women Take Back the Night is one way to make this effortpublic.

This liberating celebration also serves as a sanctuary forsurvivors of sexual assaults to share their stories with others,informing many on how to prevent rape and how to cope with thetrauma itself.

There will be guest speakers as well as workshops and activitiesto show the implications of sexual assault and rape.

“Men are strongly encouraged to come to Women Take BackThe Night; the cultural significance of both women and men at theevent will be huge,” says Robert Bunce, training andeducation manager for Sacramento-based organization Women Escapinga Violent Environment.

Midge Marino, a professor of kinesiology at Sac State, will bedemonstrating self-defense techniques for women. Student JanayLovering is tentatively scheduled to hold a “shoutworkshop,” as well as a poetry reading at the event.

WEAVE will also be represented at the event. They will besetting up an activity called “In Her Shoes,” a maze inwhich students can experience what it is like to be a sexualassault victim through the many stations and visual images theperson will pass through when trying to get to the end.

Also tentatively scheduled for the event is the Flag Project, inwhich a different flag is laid out for each sexual assault victimin Sacramento County.

Jessica Heskin, an educator for sexual assault for theWomen’s Resource Center, says that men getting involved in anevent like Women Take Back The Night is one key to stopping rapeand other sexual assaults on the college-level.

“Men have to get as sick and tired of this problem aswomen are in order to help change what is going on,” Heskinsays. “Men have to get out of this masculinity box and not beafraid to be called a sissy or gay; sexual assault is an issue oncampus and both men and women need to come together to say thiswon’t be tolerated.”

Heskin states that roughly 3,364 women &- that is one outof every five Sac State women students &- have or will beraped by the end of their college career.

Women Take Back the Night is an event for women to get out andshow their strength in numbers, to show they are no longer afraidto walk the streets at night. It is also an event for men to comeout and show that they are behind those very women.