Women have always been told not to walk alone at night because it isn't safe. But recent statistics show it's not only in the dark that women are being physically, sexually and emotionally assaulted, according to the executive director of the Salt Lake Rape Crisis Center.
"Opponents of this movement said this (assault) wouldn't happen if we'd go home and stay home," Abby Trujillo Maestas said. "We went home. We lived like animals in cages."Maestas told about 150 people who gathered Friday night at City Hall, 451 S. State, that three out of four sexual assailants are known by the victims; that 50 percent of the victims her center sees are children under the age of 14; and that 25 percent of women in America are assaulted by age 18.
"Our homes are not safe," she said. "It doesn't matter where we go, we're not safe."
In an effort to stand up to violence against women, NOW kicked off its state conference with a "take back the night" march. The group walked from City Hall to Liberty Park and back. Bill Hamilton-Holway, co-minister of South Valley Unitarian Universalist Society, asked the men to stay at City Hall, "in respect of the right of women to walk alone in safety."
The women heard from a number of community and political activists and were led in songs by singer-songwriter Judy Fjell. The rally and march were the beginning of NOW's weekend conference "Safe, Strong and Free." The Saturday conference begins at 8 a.m. with registration at the Doubletree Hotel, 215 S. West Temple.
Rep. David Jones said that being afraid is another form of rape for women.
"It's a sense that you can't go someplace, you can't choose where you will be," he said. "You are taking back your right to be who you are, to go where you want and not to be afraid."
The conference's keynote speaker addressed those at the rally. Rosemary Dempsey, the National NOW action vice president, said attacks against women are on the rise.
"As we get closer to accomplishing our goals, I believe this violence is going to go up, not down," she said. "We have to take back the night. We have to take back the day. We're going to name violence for what it is."