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We have a long history of working with various campus and community-based partners to host awareness and educational events and programs for students, faculty, staff, and community members.
Women's and Gender Studies
Summerville Campus
Office N226
National Women’s History Month is honored in March, in conjunction with International Women’s Day. This is typically when the Women’s and Gender Studies Program hosts its Biennial Symposium.
National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, an effort led at the national level by the National Coalition against Domestic Violence and the National Domestic Violence Hotline, is honored in October. Events have historically included Purple Light Nights and the SafeHomes Survivors Walk, hosted in partnership with SafeHomes Domestic Violence Center.
A hallmark of this annual event series is Take Back the Night—an event celebrated all across the globe. The term "Take Back the Night" originated in 1976 in Belgium when a march for women was held to "reclaim the night they were raped." Take Back the Night locally began as an Augusta State University student's art project in 1996 and has grown into a month's worth of events that raise awareness of and call for an end to the sexual assault and abuse of women, children, and men. The Women's Studies Program has long held an integral role in TBTN, with faculty chairing the planning committee, speaking at events, and the Women's Studies Student Association leading the silent march the night of the rally as well as getting involved in many of the events that occur throughout the month.
Women’s and Gender Studies students have been involved in many efforts to improve women’s body- and self-confidence over its history, and has often done so in recognition of the National Organization for Women’s Love Your Body Week in October. In some years, students have participated in Operation Beautiful, posting inspiring messages all over campus, or created their own Love Your Body campaigns and events, including guest speakers, film screenings, art exhibits, wellness workshops or classes, photo shoots, and t-shirt making events.