NIAGARA FALLS AIR RESERVE STATION, N.Y. -- Sexual Assault Awareness Month aims to raise awareness and promote the prevention of sexual violence through use of special events and public education.
The Clothesline Project, one of Niagara's events during the observance, started on Cape Cod, Massachusetts in 1990, to address the issue of violence against women.
CLP is a vehicle for women affected by violence to express their emotions by decorating a shirt. Many men also get involved in decorating the shirts to show their support. The shirts are then hung on a clothesline to be viewed by others as testimony to the problem of violence against women.
With the support of many, CLP has since spread world-wide.
Nikki Slaughter, 914th Airlift Wing Sexual Assault Response coordinator, added that everyone has a role in preventing sexual assault and domestic violence and the clothesline project is a great way to extend this message at Niagara.
USAF. (U.S. Air Force Graphic by Rosario "Charo" Gutierrez)