Not Alone

Click on image for larger view of report cover page

President Obama proclaimed in January, 2014 "we need to keep saying to anyone out there who has ever been assaulted: 
you are not alone. We have your back."

On April 29th the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault released its first report, "Not Alone." 

Not Alone is built upon the national conversation the Task Force initiated with those committed to 

ending sexual assault. 

In "Not Alone," the Task Force offers their first set of action steps and recommendations.

You can access the "Not Alone" report (20 pages of MUST READ information, recommendations & links for those who care about creating and maintaining safe campuses) at this link:

http://m.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/report_0.pdf 

 

In addition, the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released "Questions and Answers on Title IX and Sexual Violence". These questions and answers clarify the legal requirements and guidance articulated in the Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) that was issued by the DOE Office of Civil Rights on April 4, 2011.

You can access the Questions and Answers document here:

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/qa-201404-title-ix.pdf

Read these documents

 Check out the Task Force's website NotAlone.gov 

This Not Alone website provides resources, tools and connections to help all of us turn the tide on sexual assault and violence. 

 

Ending Campus Sexual Assault

 

April = Sexual Assault Awareness Month

The fight against campus sexual assault has been galvanized with recent media spotlights, advocacy, and activism. Check out the following suggestions from recent American Association of University Women blogs on how all of us can engage in ending sexual assault and violence. Help us end sexual violence, here at UAF, and beyond!

10 Ways to Fight against Sexual Assault on Campus
http://www.aauw.org/2014/04/09/fight-campus-sexual-assault

5 Ways Faculty and Staff Can Fight Sexual Violence on Campus
http://www.aauw.org/2014/04/14/fight-campus-sexual-violence

Know Your Rights on Campus: Campus Sexual Assault
http://www.aauw.org/what-we-do/legal-resources/know-your-rights-on-campus/campus-sexual-assault

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PLUS, check out this interesting article about changing terminology being used to refer to sexual assault and rape: 

http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/america-tonight/articles/2014/4/17/nonconsensual-sexwhenrapeisreworded.html

Equal Pay Day 2014

Equal Pay Day - April 8th, 2014

Equal Pay Day marks how far into the current year women have to work to earn the amount men earned in the previous year * (based on average wages for full time workers). Thus this year women worked 15.25 months to make what men earned in only 12 months of work. 

President Obama proclaimed today, that in 2014 it's an embarrassment that women make $0.77 on the dollar compared to men. He then signed executive orders to expand equal pay protection (prohibiting employer retaliation against workers who inquire about or share pay information, making it easier for workers to find out if they are being discriminated against AND calling on the Labor Department to collect pay information from federal contractors, including race and gender, to make it easier to identify employers who discriminate). Additionally, Obama implored Congress to pass the Pay Check Fairness Act, which would help to extend equal pay to all workers. 

Click on image for enlarged view of this White House Equal Pay meme

Read President Obama's Equal Pay Day proclamation here:

Click on image for enlarged view

PLUS, check out and share these FREE tools for pay equity activists:

Aequitas
https://itunes.apple.com/app/aequitas/id511714966

OES Data Explorer
http://www.oesdataexplorer.com

Women's History & Culture Month Keynote 3/27/14

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Dr. Danielle Dirks, an organizer and activist in the new social movement to end rape, sexual harassment, and other forms of violence on campus; and co-author of the feature article in Ms. Magazine's Winter/Spring 2014 issue; will deliver our keynote for UAF Women's History and Culture Month 2014. 

Networked Survivors Fighting for Reform: 

The New Campus Antirape Movement

A Talk by Dr. Danielle Dirks

7:00PM Thursday, March 27th

The Gathering Room in Brooks Building

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Sponsored by:

UAF Women's Center

Women's & Gender Studies Program

Sociology Club

Social Work Department

Justice Department

Sociology Department

Betty Jo Staser Memorial Fund

Breaking the Man Box: Reconstructing Masculinity in America - Live Streamed Panel from UMN

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Join the UAF Women's Center as we LIVE Stream into a Critical Conversations about Diversity and Justice series, University of Minnesota event:

Breaking the Man Box:

Reconstructing Masculinity in America

Friday, March 28th 8 10:30am-noon AK time

(followed by a recap & UAF based discussion until 1 or 2 pm for those who can stay, or want to join after noon)

Wood Center Multi-Level Lounge

What does it mean to be a man? 
Historically, certain images of masculinity have been foundational to American beliefs and values. Challenging these rigid constructs has resulted in major shifts in American society, opening up opportunities for new ideas about gender, identities, and behaviors. 
How are Women/Gender Studies challenging traditional cultural behaviors? How are ideas about masculinity shifting and helping families raise feminist sons? 
This conversation engages panelists and participants in an examination of manhood, maleness and masculinity by discussing cultural contexts such as sports, gaming and guns; male power in the marketplace; ethnic masculinities; paternity and parenting; artistic expression; and sexual expression and identity.

Panelists:

• Kyle "Guante" Tran Myhre, hip hop artist, two-time National Poetry Slam champion, social justice activits, and educator
• Gavin Grivna, Residence Director, University of Minnesota Housing and Residential Life
• Zenzele Isoke, Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies
• Jason Jackson, Assistant Director, University of Minnesota GLBTA Programs Office

Moderator:

Owen Marciano, Co-Chair, University of Minnesota Transgender Commission

Learn more at diversity.umn.edu/criticalconversations

AND join the UAF Women's Center for our LIVE Stream into this event

Non-Traditional Student Organization

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You are invited to join the new Non-Traditional Student Organization at UAF

Non-Traditional Students are . . .

• Students with Life Experience (work, family, retirement, active duty, veteran)
• Graduate/Undergraduate
• All degree programs 

 Goals: support and social outing for Non-Traditional Students!

Meets 5:30 PM alternate Thursdays

501 Gruening (Justice Department Lounge)

contact Diane Huebner for more info

dchuebner@alaska.edu

In recognition of Women's History Month, the White House released President Obama's proclamation of the month of March as Women's History Month.

"American women have led movements for social and economic justice, made groundbreaking scientific discoveries, enriched our culture with stunning works of art and literature, and charted bold directions in our foreign policy."

Later in the piece, President Obama reviews the steps his administration has taken, since he took office, to support gender equality and fight discrimination. He specifically pledges his administration's support of women who wish to pursue their passions in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields.

My So Called Enemy @ UAF for Farthest North Film Festival

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Come to Murie Auditorium Thursday, Feb 27 @ 6:30 pm 

for My So Called Enemy

A heart and mind opening award winning film which documents how six young Palestinian and Israeli women's lives are transformed as they get to know their "enemies" as human beings.

The UAF Women's Center is sponsoring this 

special UAF screening for the 2014 Farthest North Jewish Film Festival

See a trailer for My So Called Enemy at

http://mysocalledenemy.com/trailer

This film is a MUST SEE!

Thanks Farthest North Jewish Film Festival for this special UAF screening!

For the Full Farthest North Jewish Film Festival 2014 films,

click here