650 Smithfield Street
26th floor
National awareness of a chronically under-reported problem - sexual assault on college campuses – is rising dramatically. Dozens of colleges and universities, including some of the nation's most prestigious institutions, are under federal investigation for how they handled (or mishandled) reports of sexual violence. In January 2014 President Obama appointed a White House Task Force to develop recommendations, and legislation is under consideration by Congress.
Sexual assault on college campuses is one dimension of a far broader pattern of gender-based violence, which takes place not only on campuses but in homes, workplaces and social settings. A public health model has become an accepted best practice framework for effective prevention, including addressing the needs of those at high risk of offending; promoting healthy and equitable relationships; preparing bystanders to speak up; and engaging men in what has previously been marginalized as a "women's issue."
Given the importance and visibility of higher education in our region, GWP members, led by Kristy Trautmann of FISA Foundation, have begun investigating how gender-based violence is playing out on local campuses, the resources available to victims, and what higher education can do with respect to prevention and effective handling of allegations of sexual assault. Join GWP members and nonprofit advocates for an update on sexual assault on campuses in this region and weigh in on how local funders can address it.
Invited guests: Deborah Baron, Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh; Kathryn Spitz Cohan,JFilm; Ann Emmerling, Blackburn Center; Alison Hall, Pittsburgh Action Against Rape