BGSU will observe Domestic Violence Awareness Month beginning Wednesday (Oct. 6) with the third annual Silent Witness Unveiling in 101B Olscamp Hall.

More than 30 life-sized silhouettes will be unveiled during the noon ceremony, commemorating women from northwest Ohio who were murdered as a result of domestic violence.

In addition to honoring the victims, the event is designed to generate awareness about domestic violence, create advocacy to end it, and encourage legislative action to stop violence in the community.

The month’s events will continue Oct. 19 with training on the link between animal cruelty and family violence, and the following two days, Oct. 20 and 21, with the Clothesline Project and the “Hands are Not for Hurting” event.

Set for noon to 4:30 p.m. in the Ice Arena Lounge, the Oct. 19 session will explore the link between cruelty to animals and other forms of abuse. The Transformation Project at the Women’s Center is hosting the free training in collaboration with the Humane Society of the United States and Prevent Child Abuse Ohio. Due to limited space, reservations should be made before Oct. 13 by calling the Humane Society at 419-352-5141.

Both the Clothesline Project and “Hands are Not for Hurting” will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 20 and 21 at the Education Building.

The Clothesline Project, on the adjacent lawn, is a visual representation of T-shirts that bear witness to violence against women. The Phoenix Connection of Wood County provides the shirts, created by Wood County residents who have been directly affected by violence.

In conjunction with the Clothesline Project, “Hands are Not for Hurting” will be held on the Education Building steps. The event encourages students, faculty and staff to show their commitment against domestic violence by creating handprint testimonies.

The month’s events will conclude Nov. 3 with the re-shrouding of the Silent Witness silhouettes. Friends, family members and supporters will gather at Prout Chapel at noon for this tribute to the women who have lost their lives to domestic violence. The event is a reminder that no woman affected by domestic violence will ever be forgotten.

For more information about Domestic Violence Awareness Month events, contact Deidra Bennett in the Women’s Center at 372-7253.