According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest Nation Network (RAINN) 11.2 percent of students experience sexual assault through physical force, violence or incapacitation. It also states that women are twice as likely to be sexually assaulted than they are to be robbed.

NMU’s Women for Women (WFW) will be hosting the second annual SlutWalk as a part of It’s On Us week to bring awareness of sexual assault and the survivors to NMU.

At 5:30 p.m. on Thursday Oct. 4, WFW along with Men Outside the Box (MOB) and anyone who chooses to participate, will meet in the Hunt/Van Antwerp lobby, wearing as little or as much as comfortable.

The SlutWalk carries an important message for the week’s events, no one asks to be sexually assaulted, said junior secondary education major and WFW Co-President Brooke Tharp.

“Clothing doesn’t mean consent,” Tharp said. “Women shouldn’t be shamed for what they wear or their sexuality.”
It’s On Us Week of Action is sponsored by the university. The SlutWalk is a way to close a week of informative events.

For WFW Member and junior public relations major Kaitlyn Charette, the entire week is much more than just trying to bring light to the problem of sexual assault, it’s about people survivors and supporting each other.

“I love to encourage the idea that it’s on us to end rape culture and sexual assault,” Charette said. “The events this week like the SlutWalk are all about educating people.”

Throughout the week there has been a series of informative tables with topics ranging from consent and bystander intervention to tips on supporting survivors.

Anyone who participates in the SlutWalk will also be escorted by the NMU Police Department. Any signs or posters are welcome.