Violence against women is not something new. It reached a crescendo of international attention on Jan. 21, when a 23-year-old woman was gang-raped in India’s capital, Delhi.

The events in India have resonated across the world and brought attention to violence against women in the United States. SU Rising, an event at Hendricks Chapel on Thursday, brings the issue into the open in hopes of generating change.

The event will start with a community-wide dialogue about the issue of gender and violence from 11 a.m. to 12:20 p.m., followed by a “Break the Chain” dance. It will continue with a candlelight vigil and performance by Grammy award winner Joanne Shenandoah from 5:30-6:30 p.m., according to a Feb. 7 SU News release.

For Tula Goenka, an organizer of the event, associate professor of television, radio and film and co-director of the South Asia Center, SU Rising is a call to action.

“The Violence against Women Act got expired in December 2012 after 20 years, and Congress is not voting for it,” she said, explaining the impetus for the event. “One of the things that we are asking for is for people to call their local congressman and demand for the act to be reauthorized.”

Since Hendricks has historically been the place for community conversation, Tiffany Steinwert, dean of the chapel, said she feels it is fitting the event be held there.

The Rape Abuse and Incest National Network reported that on average, two-thirds of assaults are committed by a person known to the victim.

“Those who perpetuate violence are not strangers or monsters,” she said. “They are our own friends and family, parents and peers.”

Janet Epstein, director of the Syracuse University Advocacy Center, said silence perpetuates this form of violence.

“We never identify the perpetrator and speak just of the victim,” she said.

What is needed, Epstein said, is a discussion on how masculinity and power factor into these situations, and how empowered bystanders can use positive peer pressure to create an environment in which violent behavior is unacceptable.

“It’s time to put the responsibility where it belongs,” she said.

Nikhil Vinodh, vice president of the South Asia Student Association, said he supports SU Rising because he feels his gender is responsible for the acts committed against women.

“What we need are more men who are opposed to violence against women,” he said.

But in cultures where violence is endemic and often rationalized, it is hard to identify, and even harder to speak about. As a young South Asian woman, Shefali Halder, SASA’s secretary, said she sees the event as a valuable opportunity for the SU community to come together.

“Dialogue is essential because nobody wants to talk about a subject as touchy as rape,” she said. “I hope that the discussion is a catalyst towards action and the prevention of sexual assaults and understanding why it happens.”

Published on February 14, 2013 at 5:57 pm

Contact Hani: htaha@syr.edu