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The Iowa Senate will remain under the control of a slim 26-25 Democratic majority when it reconvenes in January 2012.
Men must play a larger role in helping end violence against women.The Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault (Iowa CASA) will focus on that premise during a workshop and public presentation in Des Moines on Wednesday. The workshop for sexual assault advocates and professionals is called “Engaging Men in Anti-Violence Work: Call to Men” and will be from noon to 4 p.m.
A free public presentation will begin at 7 p.m. at East High School in the cafeteria, 815 E. 13th St.
The keynote speaker for both events is Anthony Porter, co-founder of A Call to Men, a New York-based organization that engages men in helping end violence against women. The workshop also features Teree Caldwell-Johnson, CEO of the Oakridge Neighborhood and a Des Moines school board member.
“We want to invite the community, young and old, male, female, anybody who is interested in eliminating violence against women,” said Sheri Floyd, a community organizer at Iowa CASA since 2004. “Bring your son, your husband, your father. We want them to hear the message as well.”
In Iowa, 915 teens and 866 children were served by sexual violence centers between 2005 and 2006, according to the group. The most common perpetrator of sexual assault against women under the age of 18 was a family member, friend, acquaintance or date, the organization reported. Iowa has 5,499 registered sex offenders, of which 431 were located in Polk County, according to the Iowa Sex Offender Registry.
Iowa CASA is a nonprofit organization that works with 28 sexual assault crisis centers around the state providing technical assistance and training. Wednesday’s events are drawing ministers, sexual assault and domestic violence advocates, law enforcement personnel and others from across the state, Floyd said. That encouraged her because she said sexually motivated violence against women does not get as much public attention as physical violence. She said it’s also important to raise awareness about sexually motivated violence.
“I hope that the message is clear. We need men to stand up whether you are perpetrators committing the violence. We need it to stop,” Floyd said.
Floyd is excited about both speakers. She said Caldwell Johnson will give the “last word” at the workshop. She said Porter’s organization believes that women should “have the privilege” of speaking last on women’s issues because society has historically silenced women.
“We wanted someone who knows this community, who knows what she’s talking about who has a powerful voice,” Floyd said of Caldwell-Johnson. “Who better to speak to professionals about empowering women and men to listen? Who better to tell them than Teree Caldwell-Johnson?”
The events are part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month and are sponsored by Iowa CASA, the Iowa Commission on the Status of African-Americans and the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women.
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