By
Graig Uhlin and Kate VonderPorten
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Following an assault outside her own home, Veronica Del Real, founder of the local women's collective Las Sinfronteras, decided to get involved with issues of violence against women.
"When (the assault) happened to me, it brought up the question of 'What is safe? Why am I a victim?'" said Del Real, an adult education teacher. "I hope to inspire other women and girls to not feel so invincible and to have a healthy awareness of the possibility of violence."
Del Real is not alone. She has joined the ranks of a global, grassroots initiative to raise awareness about violence against women and girls - culminating in a day-long event Saturday called V-Day.
V-Day is a national movement whereby local communities work to break the silence of violence against women.
"Empowerment is so important by talking and realizing (violence) is real. V-Day will allow us to have that chance - not just to have pepper spray and take self defense classes, even though that helps too," Del Real said. "V-Day will be a really amazing time for people who feel invincible to have a serious talk about it and learn about it."
Anthropology junior KeriAnn Wells, who will attend V-Day, agreed, saying it is important to raise awareness of the issues facing women today.
"A lot of times we don't really think about (issues of domestic violence), or when we do, it is kind of sugar-coated," said Wells, who is also the co-director for the University of Arizona's Women's Resource Center. The WRC provides several services for women on campus including providing information about non-profit and community organizations.
V-Day, to be held at the Rialto Theatre, 138 E. Congress St., features a number of performances and workshops including live music, survivor testimonials and even radical cheerleading provided by Las Sinfronteras. The highlight will be a local production of the Obie award-winning play by Eve Ensler, "The Vagina Monologues."
Underlying all the entertainment, though, is the reminder that this violence occurs every day, and that all women are at risk, even at the UA.
"Some women had read that it was a safe campus when they came here," Del Real said. "The UA printed statistics of violence on campus but it is real and not a stat. We need to not be naive and be prepared when something does in fact happen - girls need to be ready."
Claudia Reynoso, executive director of Wingspan Domestic Violence Project, which will receive a portion of the proceeds of the event, said one in four women will experience domestic violence during their lifetime.
For all the work it is doing, Del Real said V-Day is only just the beginning in stopping violence against women, but it is important first step.
"V-Day is going to be really helpful for creating change - or at least a start," she said.
