By Kimberly Orozco |Contributing Writer|
The Women’s Resource Center (WRC) tackles the conversation of violence against women through The Clothesline Project Workshop.
The project started in Massachusetts in 1990 to address violence against women. However, it has been adopted worldwide to incite awareness and action through visual art testimonies.
The WRC aims to address violence in relationships through The Clothesline Project on campus. Students are encouraged to participate in decorating a shirt to express their emotions and experiences.
“It’s awesome to know our campus has resources like the WRC to help raise awareness to important issues such as domestic abuse,” said Vivian, a student.
T-shirts featuring testimonies of the persistent problem of domestic violence are displayed in public, to be viewed by visitors.
A workshop took place in the Santos Manuel Student Union (SU) between April 10th through April 14th in the WRC, and students were invited to decorate the shirts.
“This is my first time participating in something like this and I’m really looking forward to seeing the display,” said Samantha, a student.
“It’ll be insightful and almost like a support system to learn that we’re a united community,” she continued.
The decorated shirts will be displayed inside the SU throughout the following week in order for others to engage with The Clothesline Project.
The Clothesline Project has been an ongoing project at CSUSB since the early 1990’s because alumni and students felt the need to raise awareness on violence against women.
“Individuals need to be educated about sexual assault and to have an honest glimpse into what survivors of sexual assault survivors have endured,”said WRC Programming Assistant, Jenea Rodriguez
“It is also important for individuals to know what consent is and how to obtain resources for victims of sexual assault, The Clothesline Project allows individuals to be educated about what sexual assault does to the survivors,” continued Rodriguez.
Over the years, the project has gained popularity throughout the campus and the turnout to engage and participate is overwhelming.
The workshop has become so popular that not all shirts are displayed because of the heavy amount of quantities that are created.
The students participate in the workshop by decorating a plain white shirt with their testimonies and experiences with violence.
”I think it’s important to educate others, especially when you have situations such as the North Park incident. Domestic abuse is serious and hopefully by educating others we help raise awareness and help others stand up against it,” said Kayla, a student.
Those who participate are not only victims of the violence but are also witnesses to such violence.
The Clothesline Project creates a support system for those who feel alone in their situation.
The Clothesline Project will also be followed by the Take Back the Night event on April 21, which provides students with a safe environment to speak about their experiences as sexual assault victims.
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