DSG project aims to spark conversation on the 'intersection of politics and sex assault'

A Duke Student Government senator is working to increase awareness of sexual assault by hosting a panel in March bringing together female speakers to discuss sexual assault in relation to politics.

The effort is in collaboration with Women in Politics, POLIS and Duke Students Against Gender Violence. First-year Merrill O'Shaughnessy, senator of campus life, said that she and other project leaders have already contacted potential speakers who were involved in the accusation of sexual misconduct of former Democratic Sen. Al Franken, as well as representatives from the Women’s Center and community organizations in Durham. 

“We are hoping that by talking about the intersection of politics and sex assault, we will have a fresher and wider audience—people who are not just already devoted to this cause, but also people interested in politics,” she said.

In the 2015-2016 school year, 40 percent of undergraduate women reported being victims of sexual assault since enrolling at Duke. 

This project builds on DSG’s past efforts to spark discussion on campus about sexual assault. In December 2017, then-senator Katherine Gan, now a sophomore, organized a sexual assault panel focused on university policy, resources and current events. Other senators are involved in researching sexual assault at Duke to help gauge how to most effectively address the issue. 

O’Shaughnessy explained that DSG wants Duke to participate in the national conversation on sexual assault as the #MeToo movement grows among celebrities and politicians. 

“Because it’s something mainstream, we hope people are willing to learn more about it," O’Shaughnessy said. "That being said, it is kind of sad that sexual assault on college campuses is treated as a trend. After our event, it should not be gone from people’s minds. It is not an ephemeral thing that will be gone next year, and we want people to keep talking about this and stay engaged.” 

After the panel in March, DSG will move forward with more efforts to get people talking about sexual assault and thinking about it on a day-to-day basis. 

“Having these types of events is important because it makes something very personal and hard to talk about a more public conversation," O’Shaughnessy said. "We want people to have conversations about this stuff, not just read about it in an email or hear about it from a friend.” 

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