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Media Credit: Ryan Rendleman Jacob Hays, a freshman from Carbondale studying musical theater, and Lydia Dunmyer, a freshman from Du Quoin studying vocal performance, look at the T-shirts hanging near Faner Hall Tuesday. The Clothesline Project intends to bring light to violence against women.

More than 1,200 women die from domestic violence every year.

These statistics from the American Institute on Domestic Violence have started a nationwide effort to highlight that number of victims has not diminished, but there is a fight to end it.

SIUC's Progressive Masculinity Mentor organization is taking part in this movement to stop the abuse and murder of women for "Men Against Violence" week. During the next few days, the organization will collaborate with the Women's Center to host events to educate men about the ongoing problem and encourage them not to commit these violent acts.

On Tuesday afternoon in the Faner breezeway, Derrick Williams, the organization's founder, and other members set up a table for male students to take a pledge against domestic violence for the "These Hands Don't Hurt" project.

Each student was given a paper hand to sign and display around the table. The students were also given a white gel bracelet that read "Stop Violence Against Women" to show their support for the cause.

"It's usually women who fight for this cause, but this week is for men to take the approach and do the work," Williams said.

Williams came to the university in 2004 as a doctoral student in speech communication and had a goal of forming a group of men who had strong opinions and wanted to take action against domestic violence.

Usually this issue is kept

underground, Williams said, and that is the reason it is important for those men who are not afraid to talk about it get an opportunity to speak out. It will also show their support for the victims who have suffered from these crimes and work to prevent it, he said.

Christy Hamilton, coordinator for relationship violence and sexual assault at the Wellness Center, said projects like "These Hands Don't Hurt" and the Women's Center's "Clothesline" project are a way for people to become aware of the topic and come up with ways to help make society safer

for women.

Over the years, the Women's Center's project has become the eye-opener of the week with T-shirts hung in front of Faner. Each shirt has a victim's story of domestic violence written on it or memorials to those who have died from it.

Hamilton said fortunately this year Williams stepped up to the plate to get men involved to show they care about the problem too.

"It's about making a difference and if we stand united and work together we will see a change," Hamilton said.

Devron Valliant, a sophomore from Carbondale studying theater, made a pledge against domestic violence. Valliant said the project is an effective way to get those who care about the situation to show their support and for those who have never been involved to learn about the problem.

Valliant said he has witnessed acts of domestic violence in public places, which included an incident in the middle of a store where a man hit a woman during a verbal dispute. He said he was disgusted by what he saw and encourages his friends and other men on campus to band together and work against sexual assaults and other violent acts.

"It's disgraceful to see a man hit a woman," Valliant said. "It is time for men to make a change."

Jenn Lofton can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 270 or jlofton@siu.edu.

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