The Women’s Studies Program and Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance are sponsoring a week full of activities centered on informing the APSU community about domestic violence against women in recognition of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

The week of events began with the Clothesline Project and Handprint Project on Monday, Oct. 5.

Each shirt is decorated to represent a particular woman’s experience by the survivor herself or someone who cares about the victim.

The original Clothesline Project started in 1990 and quickly spread throughout the world to show awareness.

The Clothesline Project began at APSU in 1997.

Senior foreign language major and vice president of the FMLA, Jessica Axley, said she believes the Clothesline Project is a necessary opportunity for the APSU community to recognize that domestic and sexual violence happens everywhere and take action to eliminate it.

Jennelle Menlay, a senior psychology major, said the Clothesline Project is a good creative way to express the strengths of the women who created the T-shirts.

APSU has over 500 T-shirts made by the campus community.

The Clothesline Project is also displayed in March in conjunction with the production of Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues,” and in April in observance of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Jill Eichhorn, associate professor of Women’s Studies, said, “The Clothesline Project builds community and reaches out to survivors and their loved ones. It provides a place where survivors can let go of the shame and isolation of violation. It also bears testimony to the number of people in our community who have survived violation.”

According to the National Victim Center, one out of two women will be in a violent relationship sometime in their life. The Handprint Project invites men to place their handprint on a T-shirt to pledge to end violence against women.

FMLA has about 20 T-shirts with many handprints in support of ending the violence.

The FMLA will be sponsoring Take Back the Night 6 to 9 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 8, in the MUC Plaza. The event will consist of a march, candlelight vigil and a speak out to bring awareness of building safety for women at night.

For more information about the Clothesline Project visit the Web site www.clotheslineproject.org or visit the Women Studies page at www.apsu.edu/women_studies.