With April being Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention month, the UA is hosting a "Take Back the Night" march and rally tonight to help combat sexual violence in the community.
The event is sponsored by the UA Network of Feminist Student Activists and will feature speakers who address a variety of topics pertaining to sexual assault, such as campus safety, same-sex violence and the male role in preventing sexual assault against women, according to a press release.
Tables will be set up with information about different kinds of sexual assault, as well as community resources available to help victims.
"We want to bring as much awareness to this problem as we can," said Becca Arnold, a sociology senior and one of the event's organizers.
She said she hopes a broad spectrum of students and Tucsonans will turn out for the event, including men.
"We recognize both men and women are victims of sexual violence," Arnold said.
She said the rally would also provide survivors with the opportunity to have their voices heard.
"Another goal of 'Take Back the Night' is to honor victims by giving them a chance to speak out and reclaim their bodies and their lives," Arnold said.
Arnold said "Take Back the Night" is a worldwide event in April, and the word "night" has become a metaphor for the fear, isolation and coercion people experience on a daily basis in communities where rape and violence occur.
Krista Christiansen, an agricultural economics junior and member of the NFSA, said she is hoping for a good turnout.
"Everybody has a hand in how we think about (sexual violence)," Christiansen said.
According to the Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault Web site, one out of five women and one out of six men and boys over the age of 12 are victims of completed or attempted sexual assault.
The event begins at 6 p.m. by the fountain in front of Old Main.