The Ambassadors for Diversity and Inclusion drew attention to domestic violence awareness for Women’s History Month which is celebrated during March.
ADI hosted an event highlighting local and national resources for those suffering domestic abuse. The walkthrough event on March 6 invited attendees to take a “scenario card” describing a woman experiencing a type of abuse while ambassadors walked them through the types of assistance that people could provide in that instance.
“We decided to plan an event not only embracing what Women’s History Month is but also talking about the struggles and issues that arise with it,” Kyla Gordon, the treasurer for ADI, said. “A lot of the time, women face domestic abuse, so we decided to put awareness around that.”
Attendees were challenged to do a set of multiplication problems while an ambassador talked at them, highlighting how hard it can be to focus on solving your problems with outside sources distracting you, an experience that Liz Thornton-McGaha, ADI’s adviser, said is common for women dealing with domestic violence.
“We realized how important it is to really understand what it’s like for people who are in dire situations to find the resources that they need,” Thornton-McGaha said. “We never want people to be in these scenarios or situations, but if they are, we want them to know how to get out.”
Mia Jefferson, an academic and retention program coordinator for Student Engagement & Belonging, said the event highlighted important resources and was an accurate portrayal of mental health problems survivors of domestic violence may face.
“I thought the event was a very realistic perception of what mental health looks like for someone dealing with issues both prevalent and extreme, and also kind of minimized,” Jefferson said.
ADI’s next event, a bouquet making social event, is planned for March 25 at the Rhatigan Student Center. Attendees will get the opportunity to learn more about the group.
Local resources for domestic violence include The Wichita Family Crisis Center and The Wichita Area Sexual Assault Center.
