[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.14.1″ _module_preset=”default” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.14.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.14.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.1″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
The Bandana Project at Western works to raise awareness about workplace sexual violence against farmworker women<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.1″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Mirella Barrera-Betancourt<\/strong> | Staff Writer<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/files\/2022\/05\/bandana.jpg” title_text=”bandana” _builder_version=”4.14.1″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_divider color=”#8c8c8c” divider_position=”center” divider_weight=”8px” _builder_version=”4.14.1″ _module_preset=”default” width=”90%” module_alignment=”center” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.1″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Contact the author at howlstaffwriter@wou.edu<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.14.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.1″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Content warning<\/b>: This article contains mentions of sexual assault.<\/span><\/p>\n April is designated as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a month dedicated to raising awareness about sexual violence and how to prevent it. Sexual Assault Awareness Month gave rise to the Bandana Project, a public awareness campaign aimed to address the issue of workplace sexual assault in the United States, particularly among farmworker women.<\/span><\/p>\n Recently, Western joined universities across the country in raising awareness to protect farmworker women. Throughout the week of April 11 \u2013 15, Abby\u2019s House set out white bandanas for students and faculty to decorate freely with powerful messages and words of love and encouragement.<\/span><\/p>\n Maria Marquez, Peer Educator at Abby\u2019s House, was in charge of bringing the Bandana Project to Western.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAs a current member of the Dreamers community on our WOU campus, I was thrilled to organize and welcome the Bandana Project,\u201d said Marquez. \u201cMy purpose was to bring awareness to our marginalized communities and allow their voices to be heard.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The Bandana Project was created back in 2007 by M\u00f3nica Ram\u00edrez when she was directing Esperanza: The Immigrant Women\u2019s Legal Initiative of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Ram\u00edrez later founded Justice for Migrant Women, a stand-alone non profit organization now leading the Bandana Project.<\/span><\/p>\n Workplace sexual harrassment has long been an issue for farmworker women in the agricultural community. The white bandana first became a figure against sexual harrassment when farmworker women began wearing them to protect themselves against violence and harrassment in the fields. Today, they serve as a symbol of protest.<\/span><\/p>\n On why the Bandana Project is such an important project to commemorate, Marquez said, \u201cWOU is in the early stages of becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution. I believe that it is important to consider our large population of undocumented and (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) students on campus to discuss prominent and on going issues that they have to (endure). \u2026 Abby\u2019s House is here to celebrate, voice, and support women who have overcome such challenges.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Abby\u2019s House is a constant advocate for Sexual Assault Awareness Month. They will also be hosting Denim Day on April 27, an event created to show support to the victims of sexual assault who were told they were at fault for wearing what they did. Demin Day sends the message that anyone can experience sexual harrassment or assault regardless of what they were wearing.<\/span><\/p>\n To learn more about the Bandana Project, visit justiceforwomen.org.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Bandana Project at Western works to raise awareness about workplace sexual violence against farmworker women<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1361,"featured_media":18986,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[1535,1536,1532,1534,1533,1482,1531,684],"class_list":["post-18985","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-abbys-house-2","tag-agricultural","tag-farmworker-women","tag-justiceforwomen","tag-sexual-assault-awareness-month","tag-staffwriter","tag-the-bandana-project","tag-western"],"modified_by":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18985","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1361"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18985"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18985\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18986"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18985"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18985"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18985"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}