Ceremony Sheds Light On Domestic Violence

 On Tuesday, Oct. 27, over 50 students went out in the rain to show their support for domestic abuse awareness at a ceremony held by The Women’s Center of Bloomsburg.  The vigil ceremony, titled “Empowering Young Women” began at 5:30 p.m. and ran until about 6 p.m. at the Carver Hall stairs.

            Several keynote speakers attended the event to speak about the cause, concentrating on empowering young women and encouraging them to find their voice.

            “Rights are useless unless you exercise those rights,” said District Attorney Gary Norton, who spoke about domestic abuse from a legal standpoint. He explained the rights of women and what laws have been made to protect them, including the Equal Rights Amendment and Provision 27.11 in the PA Crimes Code. Provision 27.11 contains several acts to keep women safe in the event that a domestic violence case, including: police must seize all weapons from perpetrator, the perpetrator must be taken to the magistry, and the victim is to be provided with a phone number to find shelter. The closest shelter is The Women’s Center in Bloomsburg.

            Deborah Barnes, Director of The Women’s Resource Center, elaborated about shelter available to women in case of abuse. Barnes noted several events that the campus resource center sponsors throughout the year, including the annual “Can I Kiss You?” program, which was held earlier this year, and the clothesline project, which will occur in April’s Sexual Assault Month. Lending encouragement and support, Barnes hopes to reach out to women and encourage them to recognize when they are being mistreated and to speak up.

            According to Leanne Kline, The Bloomsburg Hospital and Domestic Violence Task Force Manager, there are several options a woman has if she is faced with a domestic abuse case. As far as medical treatment goes, a woman has certain medical rights. According to Kline, a woman has the right to privacy or turn down treatment if she wishes. 

            Other keynote speakers were Kathlene Russell, Director of The Women’s Center in Bloomsburg, who opened the program and Education Advocate Taylor Ruk, who closed the ceremony with a brief statement and candle-lighting.

            “I was very happy with the turnout considering the weather,” said Barnes. “There was a good mix of people from campus and from the community.”