ASU's partnership with the Gendered Violence Research Network works to bring together experts worldwide for interdisciplinary research on gendered violence prevention.
The network is a joint initiative between ASU, the University of New South Wales and the PLuS Alliance to connect experts across fields related to gender and violence. The focus on an interdisciplinary and global approach is central to the mission of the Gendered Violence Research Network.
ASU professor and network founder Jennet Kirkpatrick said she recognized the University's important role in the project by citing the ASU charter's commitment to holding a "fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health" of communities.
"Understanding, preventing and ending gendered violence is at the heart of this mission," Kirkpatrick said in an emailed statement. "We do not have healthy communities when gendered violence is present."
The Gendered Violence Research Network works to understand the causes and effects of gendered violence on all populations. It unites scholars to identify leading ways to prevent the continuation and spread of violence globally.
Senior global studies major Sumaiya Manjra is a program aid and peer educator at ASU’s Sexual and Relationship Violence Program. Manjra said the program is important because studies show many University students experience gender violence firsthand.
"About 10% of ASU students are in abusive relationships," Manjra said. "It's such a huge number, and it's our own peers, so having that research makes people feel believed and like they aren’t alone," Manjra said.
The Gendered Violence Research Network works to prevent and spread awareness about gendered violence in all populations. In Arizona, 42.6% of women and 33.4% of men will experience a kind of violence from their intimate partner, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Junior sustainability major Tala Al-Thaher said the work of the Gendered Violence Research Network and similar organizations shows the importance of continued research.
"It makes me feel good to know that there is work being done to prevent the spread of gendered violence," Al-Thaher said.
Kirkpatrick said the Gendered Violence Research Network plays a vital role in helping those experiencing violence feel like they have a community backing them up. Kirkpatrick said working on the research with others in the network has helped create a supportive community for researchers and victims alike.
"It's hard to work on an issue like sexual assault alone," Kirkpatrick said in an emailed statement. "Thanks to the GVRN, we were not alone."
ASU students can get involved in this initiative by assisting a scholar, getting an advisor for an independent study or working on an honors project surrounding gendered violence research. Kirkpatrick said she encourages students of all levels to join the network and get involved.
Edited by Alysa Horton, Walker Smith and Sadie Buggle.
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