The annual International Women’s Festival kicked off its two-day event focused on awareness of sexual assault and violence against women on March 9 at 6 p.m. with a taco bar, tables of beaming women and a showing of “The Hunting Ground,” a documentary on women who fight against sexual assault on college campuses.
This is the second year the National Women’s Coalition Against Violence and Exploitation has sponsored and hosted its event on Clark’s campus, this year launching a Washington State chapter of the “No More” campaign at the event in honor of the campaign’s “No More Week” from March 4-10.
NWCAVE’s President and Co-Founder Michelle Bart said the movement is important now because it’s affecting all genders and coming to light in the media.
“There’s no majority; we’re all one now,” she said.
Bart said she invited “No More” Ambassador Brenda Tracy to speak at the event because she’s a survivor of gang rape by two Oregon State University football players and their friends.
Bart said she launched her non-profit in 2009 which became a national organization in 2012.
NWCAVE marketing intern and Washington State University Vancouver senior Katie Yates said she helped design the Washington chapter of “No More.”
Yates said she believes everyone should be passionate about the movement because of how prevalent sexual assault is.
“I think we all know somebody,” she said. “This is our best friends, our little brothers, our sisters, our coworkers.”
