The UW-Madison student organization Promoting Awareness and Victim Empowerment, or PAVE, presented their budget proposal last Thursday in front of the Student Services Finance Committee.
PAVE is the only peer-to-peer resource on campus dedicated to preventing sexual assault and domestic violence on campus. Their efforts include spreading awareness of these issues at events and through outreach materials, as well as providing a safe space on campus for survivors of sexual assault and their allies to build a community of support.
One in four women will be sexually assaulted in their time at UW-Madison, according to last year’s campus climate survey. PAVE said they hope they can engage the UW-Madison campus in regards to tackling issues of sexual assault and dating violence.
“A lot of people think that sexual violence is a women’s issue, but it’s not,” said Samantha Garlock, PAVE’s finance and office coordinator. “It’s important for men to be involved in violence prevention.”
Any UW-Madison group can request a workshop with PAVE. Common workshops discuss defining consent and how to support a survivor of sexual assault, but they can also be custom-tailored to fit the needs of the specific group requesting the workshop.
PAVE also has a resource library located in their office in the SAC. The library has books on different kinds of sexual violence and healing methods. The office offers a safe space for students to access these resources.
“You might not want to check things out from the library if you’re worried someone might see what you’re reading,” Garlock said.
PAVE’s largest programs are their three main “awareness month” initiatives. These efforts include: Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, Stalking Awareness Month in February and Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April.
Any UW-Madison student is welcome to request a workshop, volunteer or utilize the resources offered in the PAVE office.
