The Women’s Center at SUNY Oswego held their annual “Take Back the Night” march on Oct. 19, walking through the cold fall night around campus with signs and megaphones to spread their message.

“We are walking for a reason,” declared a protestor, voice raspy from the consistent yelling of the march’s objectives. “We’re not walking for our health! Guess what, more than three people were sexually assaulted by the time we walked from [Marano Campus Center] all the way around. This is important!”

The march is held as an outlet for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, vulnerable demographics that may feel threatened to go public with stories and experiences. Student participants, regardless of their position in the Women’s Center organization, loudly advocated for these peoples’ right to be heard. 

Shania Alcock, treasurer of the Women’s Center, made this abundantly clear with the glittered sign she carried throughout the march and her unshaking message. 

“We’re trying to raise awareness for sexual assault victims and domestic violence victims because some of them are silent and they don’t know how to speak up, so this is the opportunity for them to speak up now,” Alcock said.

Other marchers such as university student Kyra Edwards felt it was important to address root issues afflicting the student body both locally and across the nation. “A lot of people don’t appreciate what consent is, or they don’t care what consent is,” Edwards said. “And a lot of times, women are victims of that, and men too.”

Maya Neita, the president of the Women’s Center, said that the walk was also to raise awareness for the services that are available to students on campus going through these experiences. She and other students highlighted services like Students Helping Oz Peers (SHOP), Counseling Outreach Peer Educators (COPE), Mary Walker Health Center and Title IX.

“I want people to understand that they are truthfully not alone,” Neita said.

Sexual assault in the United States is a rampant issue that has seen tragic, widespread observance. According to the CDC, “Over half of women and almost 1 in 3 men have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact during their lifetimes. One in 4 women and about 1 in 26 men have experienced completed or attempted rape.”

 In addition to the trauma of these incidents, sexual assault has been noted to occur earlier instead of later in life, and is expensive when “including medical costs, lost productivity, criminal justice activities, and other costs.” The CDC estimates that the average total costs of rape equates to $122,461. 

Domestic violence is another common occurrence with dire outcomes for those affected. According to a case study from the National Library of Medicine, “Domestic violence is a serious and challenging public health problem. Approximately 1 in 3 women and 1 in 10 men 18 years of age or older experience domestic violence. Annually domestic violence is responsible for over 1500 deaths in the United States. Domestic violence victims typically experience severe physical injuries requiring care at a hospital or clinic.”