April is nationally recognized as Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) which is symbolized by a teal ribbon, representing our commitment to supporting survivors. During SAAM, the Sexual Violence Prevention and Education team collaborates with campus and community partners to create a month full of educational and interactive ways to address the spectrum of violence; this includes sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating or domestic violence, gender-based harassment, and stalking.
We believe that SAAM is a critical opportunity to not only demonstrate our unwavering solidarity with survivors, but to be agents of change, working to create a campus culture that fosters healthy relationships, demonstrates care and support, puts consent into practice, and takes action to prevent instances of sexual violence. We are committed to providing programming and outreach that is survivor centered, trauma informed, culturally salient, community specific, and student driven.
Our calendar will be updated as more events take shape, so please keep checking back throughout April. Also, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @uosvpe to stay connected with all our initiatives throughout the year.
We recognize that support is an important part of healing and navigating this work together as a community. Please consider connecting with the Care and Advocacy Program, Counseling Services, the SAFE website, or call the SAFE Hotline at 541-346-SAFE (7233).
SAAM Events 2023
4:00–6:00 p.m.
Presented by the Northwest Nework for Queer and Trans Survivors of Abuse and the UO Care and Advocacy Program Come learn about how to improve the health, quality, and happiness of your relationships (romantic and otherwise) in this 2-hour interactive workshop. Presenters from the NW Network for Queer and Trans Survivors of Abuse will share their insights about how we can cultivate relationships that help us center our values and honor our boundaries--and those of our partners.
Please RSVP if you're planning on attending at https://bit.ly/UOCAP_RSVP
4:00–6:00 p.m.
Presented by the Northwest Nework for Queer and Trans Survivors of Abuse and the UO Care and Advocacy Program Come learn about how to improve the health, quality, and happiness of your relationships (romantic and otherwise) in this 2-hour interactive workshop. Presenters from the NW Network for Queer and Trans Survivors of Abuse will share their insights about how we can navigate comflict with our partner(s) and be more accountable to the people we care about.
Please RSVP if you're planning on attending at https://bit.ly/UOCAP_RSVP
noon
Join Substance Abuse Prevention and the Collegiate Recovery Center in celebrating National Collegiate Recovery Day! Supporting students who choose recovery is a vital aspect of building an inclusive campus. Students will be tabling in front of the EMU and providing folks the opportunity to share why they support recovering classmates!
3:00–5:00 p.m.
Self-defense isn’t just learning how to fight. It’s also learning how to set clear boundaries and stand up for yourself while maintaining healthy, positive relationships. In this supportive and empowering workshop, we will introduce you to a range of physical, verbal, and emotional skills that can help you recognize and thwart perpetrator tactics, reduce your risk of sexual assault, and feel more comfortable in your daily interactions. All techniques are simple, easy to learn, and effective regardless of fitness or experience level.
This workshop is open to all self-identified women and non-binary people who are comfortable in a space centered around experiences of those who identify as or may be perceived as women.
Wear comfortable clothing that allows ease of movement. No skill or experience required.
Participants should plan to arrive 5 minutes early to get signed in, as the session will start at the scheduled time. Reminder of the Group X policy: to support your comfort and safety, upon the workshop starting, any spot reserved online that is not present will be dropped, and stand-by patrons will be able to take your spot. No one will be allowed to enter the workshop once it has started. View all program policies here.2:00 p.m.
The ladies of the Beta Psi Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. would like to invite you to join us for our 2nd Annual Duck Walk.
April is Sexual Assault Awareness month and we are walking to bring awareness to issues of violence. We encourage our participants to bring and wear their own heels as they walk to signify the idea of putting themselves in another's shoes.
5:00–8:00 p.m.
This event aims to normalize casual conversations around boundaries and improve participants’ ability to understand their own boundaries through conversation and opportunities for introspection.
The event will accomplish these goals by providing a safe and structured space for connection and conversation. Students will have access to community health professionals as well as Protection Connection student workers.
The “speed dating” element of the event will consist of several rounds of conversations between participants. Rounds will be short and will feature questions about boundaries and healthy relationships. Questions will touch on concepts like consent, intimacy, relationships, but may not be specifically about sex (e.g “What is one time you thought you’d like something until you tried it?” Or “what is your silliest ‘ick’?”)
Students will leave the event with a better understanding of their own boundaries and increased comfort conveying them to other people.
11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Join SAPE and SAB for a National Screening Day tabling out front of Starbucks! Recieve a Prince Pucklers Coupon for participation! Stop by the table to take a brief, private screener about your mental health or substance use.
5:00–8:00 p.m.
Join Protection Connection as we support SAAM for the annual Sex Toy Bingo event! The night will start with a short presentation from Sexual Assault Support Services (SASS). Then, Bingo will commence! All attendees will have a chance to win sex toys and goodies of all kinds, and access Protection Connection’s free safer sex supplies. We will also have a table for our generous community partner, As You Like It.
This year, we hope to include three rounds in order to accommodate the interest seen last year. Our prizes this year will be selected as a way of connecting with yourself sexually and will be basic level toys.
5:30–7:00 p.m.
What can I personally do to ensure experiences of safe and healthy dating in my community? In partnership with UO chapters of Alpha Tau Omega and Phi Kappa Psi, Practice Makes Progress is a virtual, interactive workshop to practice ways to respond to potentially uncomfortable dating situations in college. Follow the link to RSVP!
5:00–9:00 p.m.
What does “Drawing Connections” mean to you? Join Protection Connection at this celebratory sex positive art show as we explore this question through various art mediums made by the UO community.
This art show is held during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, because Prevention Demands Visability.
We will have musical entertainment and a microphone available for poetry as an art submission in our Drawing Connections Poetry Slam.
6:00–8:00 p.m.
Come enjoy a free dinner with UO Counseling Services, Family Housing, the Women's Center, and the NonTraditional Student Program, as we engage in discussion around a pivotal topic: healthy relationships. Our guest speaker will provide an engaging and insightful presentation about how to care for our partners and ourselves.
The focus of the presentation will be on introducing tools that are easy to include in your day to day for romantic, intimate, work, and friend relationships. We'll also provide resources for continuing education and engagement, as well as insight as to how people in relationships and individuals can find counseling on campus. This event values the diversity present in relationships and welcomes individuals of all gender identities, sexual orientations, and relationship statuses to attend.
Some volunteer childcare will be available at the event, but parents are expected to monitor their children’s behavior. If your child is likely to be disruptive during the presentation, please consider finding alternate care.
Please RSVP here: https://oregon.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5dUuV3Iti5J0RtY
A week of movement centered around empowerment is an opportunity to rejuvenate your fitness routine and sense of self with inspirational music, mantras, movement, and more! Check out the PE and Rec overview of workouts at https://recweb.uoregon.edu/ including Cycling, Yoga, Barre, Body Sculpt, and Zumba to fuel your mind, body, and soul! A workout pass is required to register for these classes.
SAAM is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
A week of movement centered around empowerment is an opportunity to rejuvenate your fitness routine and sense of self with inspirational music, mantras, movement, and more! Check out the PE and Rec overview of workouts at https://recweb.uoregon.edu/ including Cycling, Yoga, Barre, Body Sculpt, and Zumba to fuel your mind, body, and soul! A workout pass is required to register for these classes.
SAAM is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
6:00–7:00 p.m.
Like a hybrid between dance and yoga without the fancy choreography, this class is a movement meditation dedicated to honoring boundaries. Tapping into personal sources of containment will be balanced with finding flow and relationship. Comfort and rest are prioritized alongside recruitment of strength and support. All are welcome to this free class! No previous experience necessary.
SAAM is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
A week of movement centered around empowerment is an opportunity to rejuvenate your fitness routine and sense of self with inspirational music, mantras, movement, and more! Check out the PE and Rec overview of workouts at https://recweb.uoregon.edu/ including Cycling, Yoga, Barre, Body Sculpt, and Zumba to fuel your mind, body, and soul! A workout pass is required to register for these classes.
SAAM is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
2:00–2:30 p.m.
Join the Substance Abuse Prevention and Education program in the Duck Nest to learn about drink tampering and how to respond if it occurs. The Duck Nest is located in the basement of the EMU, around the corner from the computer lab.
A week of movement centered around empowerment is an opportunity to rejuvenate your fitness routine and sense of self with inspirational music, mantras, movement, and more! Check out the PE and Rec overview of workouts at https://recweb.uoregon.edu/ including Cycling, Yoga, Barre, Body Sculpt, and Zumba to fuel your mind, body, and soul! A workout pass is required to register for these classes.
SAAM is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
6:00–10:00 p.m.
The Women’s Center is beyond excited to invite you to join in-person at our annual Take Back the Night Rally, March and Speak-Out Against Sexual and Domestic Violence on Thursday, April 25th, 2024 starting at 6pm in the EMU Amphitheater!
TBTN is a yearly international protest founded in 1976 which seeks to raise awareness about the realities of sexual and domestic violence on campus and in the community, both for survivors of sexual and domestic violence and those who want to support and bear witness in solidarity.
TBTN is a survivor-centered event that begins with a Rally in the EMU Amphitheater at 6pm, continues at 7pm as a March through the streets of Eugene to symbolize reclaiming people’s safety on public streets at night – and ends back on campus for a Speak Out in the EMU.
The Speak Out will be student-led (with non-university affiliated licensed mental health providers available nearby for confidential assistance) during which survivors can share personal stories of how sexual and domestic violence has impacted their lives. Snacks, beverages and blankets will be provided. *We ask that no UO Professional Staff or Media be present during this portion of the event to provide a sacred space for students to have dialogue circles of peer to peer support.*
Our theme for the 2024 event is being formed, and we will update this space once it is solidified.
As always, the Women’s Center is committed to providing this essential event to support survivors, educate the community and prevent future harm.
PEOPLE UNITE! TAKE BACK THE NIGHT!
#TakeBackTheNight #SupportSurvivors #BelieveSurvivors #SAAM
For more information please contact Women’s Center Sexual Violence Prevention and Educator Coordinator, Maggie Bertrand, SVPEWC@gmail.com, or Women’s Center Director, Fatima Roohi Pervaiz, at fpervaiz@uoregon.edu.
A week of movement centered around empowerment is an opportunity to rejuvenate your fitness routine and sense of self with inspirational music, mantras, movement, and more! Check out the PE and Rec overview of workouts at https://recweb.uoregon.edu/ including Cycling, Yoga, Barre, Body Sculpt, and Zumba to fuel your mind, body, and soul! A workout pass is required to register for these classes.
SAAM is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
6:30 p.m.
Come listen to Marlee Liss speak about her sexual assault case in 2019, which became the first in North America to conclude with restorative justice through the courts. Liss fought for the man who raped her to go to therapy instead of criminal trial and eventually, they met in an 8-hour restorative circle. After sharing with the media, her inbox began filling with thousands of messages from survivors sharing their stories and why they wish they had known about alternatives to the punitive system, like restorative justice. Hence, the focus throughout the program is to inspire folks to create a vision of justice that is synonymous with healing through informative storytelling by taking a vulnerable and educational approach to talking about this alternative to the punitive system. In an environment rooted in hope and empowerment, listeners will learn about this justice pathway that breaks cycles of harm and ignites cycles of healing.
Learn more about Marlee here: https://www.marleeliss.com
A week of movement centered around empowerment is an opportunity to rejuvenate your fitness routine and sense of self with inspirational music, mantras, movement, and more! Check out the PE and Rec overview of workouts at https://recweb.uoregon.edu/ including Cycling, Yoga, Barre, Body Sculpt, and Zumba to fuel your mind, body, and soul! A workout pass is required to register for these classes.
SAAM is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.