Promoting sexual violence prevention in New Mexico

Last week I had the opportunity to provide trainings on Emerging Trends in Sexual Violence Prevention in New Mexico. The rooms were full in Las Cruces and Albuquerque as I explored how prevention is the work to change the conditions that cause sexual violence. Here are some of the participants saying “prevent sexual violence in New Mexico.”

Click here for a copy of the handouts for these sessions. These trainings were the second in a series of trainings to implement Building Capacity for Preventing Sexual Violence in New Mexico: A Three-Year Strategic Plan.

I was quite inspired by the members of the audience sharing their efforts to prevent sexual violence. One women told us about how she attended the Bioneers Conference representing a rape crisis center.  This conference is described as “a leading-edge forum & environmental conference–social and scientific innovators focus on solutions inspired by nature & human ingenuity.”  People kept coming up to her asking why is someone from a rape crisis center at this environmental conference. She replied that she sees rape as an environmental problem.  I completely agree – sexual violence prevention requires a solutions that changes the rape culture environment. (And my son recently performed at the opening of the 2010 Bioneers Conference dancing with Destiny Arts Youth Performance Company.)

Another participant shared how when she heard me speak in New Mexico a few years ago about using the social ecological model, she was inspired to change how her agency approached prevention to ensure they were doing work on the individual, relationship, community and societal level.  How inspiring to to hear that I helped inspire action.

Thanks to my colleagues at the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, New Mexico Department of Health and University of New Mexico Prevention Research Center for arranging such wonderful trainings.