Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Introduction
October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM).
Throughout DVAM, we encourage you to explore resources to better understand what gender-based violence is, how it affects our communities, and ways you can take action.
For survivors, we also offer information that can support you as you work toward your safety, healing, and wellness.
Please check them out, save the ones you find valuable, and share!
2025 Events
We’ll be adding events here throughout the month, so stay tuned!
HEALS: Surviving & Thriving in the Classroom
HEALS: Surviving & Thriving in the Classroom
Tuesday, October 14, 2025
12-1pm
Zoom
How do you navigate school and work as a survivor? What supports and accommodations do you need to succeed, and how can you access them?
Join us to share the ups and downs, and leave with a toolkit of strategies and goals for the second half of the semester.
HEALS is a gathering space for UIC students who have experienced gender-based violence (domestic/dating violence, sexual assault, harassment, and stalking) and those who support them. Undergraduate, graduate, and professional students welcome!
Co-sponsored by Commuter and Off-Campus Life.
“CripSurviving”: Supporting Disabled Survivors of Domestic Violence
“CripSurviving”: Supporting Disabled Survivors of Domestic Violence
Wednesday, October 22, 2025
2-3:30pm
1700 SSB & Zoom
Join us for this important discussion on supporting domestic violence survivors with disabilities! Learn what domestic violence is, its impact on survivors with disabilities, and how to support survivors.
Featured Speakers:
- Krescene Beck, Co-Director, Blue Tower Solutions
- Mary Hettel, Curriculum Lead Coordinator, Peer to Peer: Bridging the Gap through Self-Advocacy
- Jae Jin Pak, Research Associate 2 / Coordinator of Community Education – IDHD; Co-Founder: Chicagoland Disabled People of Color Coalition (Chicagoland DPOCC) – IDHD; Self Advocacy Training Mentor – IL LEND; Institute on Disability & Human Development (IDHD)
Co-hosted by the UIC Disability Cultural Center, UIC Institute on Disability & Human Development, and Chicagoland Disabled People of Color Coalition.
October 23: HEALS: Surviving & Thriving through Activism
HEALS: Surviving & Thriving through Activism
Thursday, October 23, 2025
3-4:30pm
Commuter Student Center Flex Room & Zoom
How do survivors of gender-based violence advocate for change? During this conversation with survivors and those who support them, we will celebrate how we have raised our voices, learn about survivor-led movements, and explore ways to get involved.
HEALS is a gathering space for UIC students who have experienced gender-based violence (domestic/dating violence, sexual assault, harassment, and stalking) and those who support them. Undergraduate, graduate, and professional students welcome!
Co-sponsored by Commuter and Off-Campus Life.
October 29: Lunch and Learn: Gender-based Violence 101
Lunch and Learn: Gender-based Violence 101
Wednesday, October 29, 2025 – Please note new date!
12:30-1:30pm
College of Dentistry, Lecture Hall South
The College of Dentistry Resilience Center and Campus Advocacy Network invite you to join us for a lunch and learn on Gender-based Violence, in commemoration of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Learn about supportive resources on campus, the barriers survivors face, warning signs and patterns, advocacy skills, and how we can support our community.
Open to all College of Dentistry students, residents, staff, and faculty.
Survivor Support
Institutional Betrayal
Medicine and Health Sciences
More than 50% of female faculty and staff in academia and 20-50% of female students in science, engineering & medicine said they had experienced sexual harassment, according to “Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine,” a 2018 report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
Medicine and Health Sciences (links)
Criminology, Law, and Justice
Cybersecurity
Business and Workplace Issues
Engineering and Computer Science
2024 Events
Healing in Motion: Fitness for Survivors: Cardio Kickboxing
Healing in Motion: Fitness for Survivors: Cardio Kickboxing
Wednesday, October 9, 2024
4:45-6pm
MAC Suite, Student Recreation Facility
Join us in a supportive and healing space designed for survivors of gender-based violence. Together, we’ll reclaim our bodies, build resilience, and foster community. All fitness levels and all bodies are welcome!
Hosted in collaboration with Campus Recreation (Campus Recreation membership is not required to participate in these classes).
Please contact us with any questions or access requests: can@uic.edu or (312) 996-0372.
October 16: Healing in Motion: Fitness for Survivors: Spin
Healing in Motion: Fitness for Survivors: Spin
Wednesday, October 16, 2024
2:45-4pm
Multipurpose Suite B, Student Recreation Facility
Join us in a supportive and healing space designed for survivors of gender-based violence. Together, we’ll reclaim our bodies, build resilience, and foster community. All fitness levels and all bodies are welcome!
Hosted in collaboration with Campus Recreation (Campus Recreation membership is not required to participate in these classes).
Please contact us with any questions or access requests: can@uic.edu or (312) 996-0372.
October 24: Healing in Motion: Fitness for Survivors: Zumba
Healing in Motion: Fitness for Survivors: Zumba
Thursday, October 24, 2024
4:45-6pm
Multipurpose Studio B, Student Recreation Facility
Join us in a supportive and healing space designed for survivors of gender-based violence. Together, we’ll reclaim our bodies, build resilience, and foster community. All fitness levels and all bodies are welcome!
Hosted in collaboration with Campus Recreation (Campus Recreation membership is not required to participate in these classes).
Please contact us with any questions or access requests: can@uic.edu or (312) 996-0372.
Healing in Motion: Fitness for Survivors: Yoga
Healing in Motion: Fitness for Survivors: Yoga
Wednesday, October 30, 2024
2:45-4pm
Multipurpose Suite B, Student Recreation Facility
Join us in a supportive and healing space designed for survivors of gender-based violence. Together, we’ll reclaim our bodies, build resilience, and foster community. All fitness levels and all bodies are welcome!
Hosted in collaboration with Campus Recreation (Campus Recreation membership is not required to participate in these classes).
Please contact us with any questions or access requests: can@uic.edu or (312) 996-0372.
2023 Events
Don’t Tell Anyone: Film Screening & Discussion
Don’t Tell Anyone (No Le Digas a Nadie): Film Screening & Discussion
Tuesday, October 10, 2023
11am – 1pm
Latino Cultural Center, Lecture Center B2
Join us for a screening and discussion of Don’t Tell Anyone (No Le Digas a Nadie), a documentary by Mikaela Shwer (runtime: 75 minutes).
The film shares an intimate glimpse into a young immigrant activist’s life as she shares her parallel journey of coming out of the shadows as undocumented and as a survivor of sexual abuse.
Angy Rivera arrived in the United States at the age of four with her mother, fleeing violence, poverty, and civil war in their native Colombia. In her early 20s, Rivera became an activist for undocumented youth with a popular advice blog called “Ask Angy,” with a YouTube channel, and by becoming a leader with the New York State Youth Leadership Council (YLC). This film follows Rivera’s remarkable journey from rural Colombia to the front page of The New York Times.
Presented by the UIC Latino Cultural Center and University Library’s Undergraduate Engagement Program. Co-sponsored by the Rigoberto Padilla-Perez Undocumented Student Resource Center, the Fearless Undocumented Alliance (FUA), and WLRC’s Campus Advocacy Network (CAN).
How to Make a Brave Space: When Survivors Take the Mic
How to Make a Brave Space: When Survivors Take the Mic
Tuesday, October 24, 2023
3-4:30pm
1700 Student Services Building & Zoom
How do survivors of gender-based violence create brave spaces? How can we hold space for one another and navigate those moments when we “get it wrong”?
Join us for a conversation with Nikki Patín, Chicago artist, founder, and Executive Producer of Surviving the Mic, as we launch CAN’s new affinity space for survivors. Nikki will perform pieces from her forthcoming memoir, Working On Me, and invite us to envision what a survivor-led community can look like at UIC.
We welcome UIC community members who are survivors of gender-based violence (domestic/dating violence, sexual assault, harassment, stalking, and family abuse) and allies.
Co-sponsored by the UIC Black Cultural Center, English Club, English Department, Fraternity and Sorority Life, Latino Cultural Center, School of Theatre and Music, Undergraduate Student Government, and University Library.
2022 Events
Campus SaVE Program
Weekly Conversations with First-Year Members of Fraternities and Sororities
October 12, 2022: Stigma, Stereotypes, & Stories of Domestic Violence in Black Communities
Stigma, Stereotypes, & Stories of Domestic Violence in Black Communities
Join the African American Cultural Center and WLRC’s Campus Advocacy Network to discuss how domestic violence affects Black communities and what you can do to help advocate for survivors.
2019 Events
Tuesdays
Weekly Conversations with First-Year Members of Fraternities and Sororities
Wednesday, October 2, 2019: Safer Sex Fest
Stop by the Campus Advocacy Network’s table at the Wellness Center’s annual Safer Sex Fest and sign a consent pledge!
Learn about bystander intervention, consent, sex positivity, and healthy relationships while enjoying snacks, music, door giveaways, and smoothies.
Thursday, October 3, 2019: Introduction to the Campus Advocacy Network with the Graduate Student Council
Introduction to the Campus Advocacy Network with the Graduate Student Council
Friday, October 4, 2019: Cultivating Awareness for Gender-Based Violence
In this interactive workshop, participants will learn to recognize warning signs in domestic violence/sexual assault as well as brainstorm strategies and develop skills for effective intervention. A certificate of completion will be issued at the end.
This is a professional development training for UIC health professional students on gender-based violence, such as sexual assault and domestic violence.
Co-sponsored by UIC Urban Medicine Program, UIC Center for Excellence in Maternal and Child Health, Medical Students for Violence Prevention, and Medical Students for Choice.
Thursday, October 10, 2019: Keeping Each Other Safe! A Conversation on Bystander Intervention with UIC Recreation
The UIC Recreation Center and Campus Advocacy Network invite Sports Club officers to join us to learn some basic principles of bystander intervention through an interactive workshop. Don’t miss this opportunity to meet your fellow leaders!
Wednesday, October 16, 2019: Shake It Up! Critiquing Gender-Based Violence Prevention from Women of Color Perspectives
Shake It Up! Critiquing Gender-Based Violence Prevention from Women of Color Perspectives
The Women’s Leadership and Resource Center, Chi Sigma Omega UIC Chapter, and Asian American Resource and Cultural Center are initiating a series of events throughout this academic year to critically examine gender-based violence education and prevention on college campuses. This series will include one workshop (women of color perspectives) scheduled for fall, followed by three workshops (topics including male allies, LGBTQIA, and disability), a book discussion on Know My Name by Chanel Miller, and a final student-centered panel discussion in spring.
Wednesday, October 16, 2019: Navigating Social Life and Maintaining Healthy Relationships with UIC Global
Navigating Social Life and Maintaining Healthy Relationships with UIC Global
The Campus Advocacy Network (CAN) at the Women’s Leadership and Resource Center invites UIC Global international students to rethink relationships with peers, family, friends, and romantic partners. Join us for a facilitated conversation which aims to equip you with the tools to navigate social and dating life on your college campus and learn to maintain healthy relationships. We will explore and examine the difficulties, obstacles, and importance of creating and maintaining healthy relationships.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019: Keeping Each Other Safe! A Conversation on Bystander Intervention with CADA
Keeping Each Other Safe! A Conversation on Bystander Intervention with CADA
The UIC College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts and Campus Advocacy Network invite the college’s students, staff, and faculty to join us to learn some basic principles of bystander intervention through an interactive workshop. Don’t miss this opportunity to meet your fellow students and staff!
2017 Events
MODEL BEHAVIOR DIALOGUE & WORKSHOP
MODEL BEHAVIOR DIALOGUE & WORKSHOP – Hosted by Sarah Bernstein & Keisa Reynolds
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
11:30AM – 1:00 PM
WLRC/CAN Programming Room – 1101 W Taylor Street, 3rd Floor
Model Behavior is a workshop designed for LGBTQ-identified people to recognize unhealthy and abusive behaviors in relationships. We will work together to discuss patterns of harmful and abusive behaviors in our own, past or current, relationships and within LGBTQ+ communities. We will also create individual relationship intentions to help with self-empowerment and setting boundaries with current and future partners. Hosted by CAN with co-sponsorship by the Gender & Sexuality Center (GSC) & UIC Pride.
Sarah Bernstein is a queer femme sexuality educator and community activist. They currently work at the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health (ICAH) and are the founder of Chicago’s Adult Sex Ed. Groups, sexuality education workshops centering queer and trans people’s sexualities. Keisa Reynolds is a queer Black feminist writer and educator based in Chicago.
The Hunting Ground film screening & discussion
THE HUNTING GROUND Film Screening & Discussion
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
5:00 – 7:00 PM
WLRC/CAN Programming Room – 1101 W Taylor Street, 3rd Floor
This documentary is a piercing expose of rape culture on college campuses that follows students pursuing both their education and justice. Despite ongoing harassment and the devastating toll on themselves and their families, it has empowered survivors to share their first hand experiences and to be agents for social change. Screening followed by discussion facilitated by CAN advocates, Andie Celerio and Athanasia Papaioannou.
*Trigger Warning: Film and discussion may invoke strong emotional responses.
Film Run Time: 60 minutes
SUPPORT SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE donation drive
SUPPORT SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE – Feminists United is hosting a Donation Drive for YWCA
October 16 – October 27, 2017
Drop off locations:
SCE East Entrance
Courtyard & Commons Atrium
University Hall – 1st Floor Entrance
WLRC/CAN – 1101 W Taylor Street, 3rd Floor
Feminists United in collaboration with WLRC/CAN is hosting a drive to collect donations for survivors of interpersonal violence working with the YWCA. The YWCA is a nationwide organization with six Chicago locations dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all; their services include FREE Violence Prevention Education, Sexual Assault Counseling, Advocacy & Education, Career Services and so much more.
Items needed include: shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, shower gel, hand towels, adult diapers, single blade shaving razors, deodorant, baby wipes, diaper rash cream, and women’s clothes.
Practicing Consent within Relationships
Practicing Consent within Relationships
Thursday, October 12, 2017
6:00 – 7:00 PM
Student Residence Commons – Seminar Room in the Lower Level of the Atrium – 700 S. Halsted
During this workshop we will be discussing the qualities of a healthy and unhealthy relationship in relation to practicing consent. Through our time together participants will engage in activities to start recognizing the ways they’ve been socialized to think about consent within relationships and unpack many of ideas they’ve been taught. We will also be able to think of tangible tools to build a healthy relationship, with a focus on how to appropriately create and respect boundaries. Open to all Campus Housing residents. This program is a partnership between CAN and UIC Campus Housing.
SANCTUARY FOR ALL - Domestic Violence Awareness Month Kickoff Rally
SANCTUARY FOR ALL – Domestic Violence Awareness Month Kickoff Rally
Monday, October 2, 2017
12:00 – 1:00 PM
James R. Thompson Center- 100 W Randolph Street
Join the staff of WLRC/CAN as we support survivors at Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women’s Network’s annual #DomesticViolenceAwarenessMonth Kickoff Rally. Together we will be #ClaimingOurSanctuary as we demand #SanctuaryForAll and lift up the lives of those surviving violence in their homes and violence enabled by U.S. Immigration Policy in its collusion with local law enforcement #ChicagoPolice #NoGangDatabase
CAN OPEN HOUSE
CAN OPEN HOUSE
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
WLRC/CAN Programming Room – 1101 W Taylor Street, 3rd Floor
Come join the friends and staff of the Campus Advocacy Network as we kick off Domestic Violence Awareness Month! This is a great time to meet like-minded individuals, student groups, or causes that aim to make a safe and inclusive campus for everyone.
Come learn about CAN’s: Mission, Goals, Programs, Services & Opportunities.
ARTivism - Stolen Lives (Vidas Robadas)
ARTivism – Stolen Lives (Vidas Robadas)
Thursday, October 5, 2017
1:00 – 4:00 PM
Latino Cultural Center – Lecture Center B2
Join the Latino Cultural Center for an open art studio with Esperanza Gama to celebrate and honor the lives and bravery of women who have suffered domestic violence and cruel deaths. Gama will lead us in creating communal art pieces, including one for Berta Cáceres, a Honduran environmental indigenous activist, murdered in 2016. These art pieces will be incorporated into Gama’s upcoming exhibition at Casa Michoacán and the LCC’s ofrenda to Cáceres at the National Museum of Mexican Art this fall.
Esperanza Gama has worked on issues of migration and femicide in the U.S. and France. Her body of work is a combination of paintings, ceramics, and installations. She believes in art as a form of healing and therapy to help vulnerable communities in this process. To learn more about her work, email: gamaesperanza@gmail.com
Presented by the UIC Latino Cultural Center. This program is co-sponsored by the Women’s Leadership Resource Center (WLRC) and student organization Mexican Students de Aztlán (MeSA).
TITLE IX: Supporting the Success of All Youth in School
TITLE IX: Supporting the Success of All Youth in School
Friday, October 20, 2017
10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
WLRC/CAN Programming Room – 1101 W Taylor Street, 3rd Floor
This training hosted by WLRC explores the rights that young people have in schools under Title IX, the federal civil rights law that works to ensure the academic success of all students by prohibiting sex discrimination in education, specifically for LGBTQIA+ students, pregnant and parenting youth, and survivors of sexual assault. Participants will learn what the rights under Title IX are, how it works under different administrations, and practice advocating for your student’s rights all while combating shame and stigma. Lunch and beverages will be provided. Please send your RSVP to can.wlrc@gmail.com. There will be limited seating available at the door. Hosted by WLRC in collaboration with the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health (ICAH).