Sex Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) is observed nationally every April to promote education and prevention of sexual violence. This year, the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa is inviting its community to take part in upcoming SAAM events in April.

To further promote prevention and healing through reconnecting individuals to their communities, the theme of this year’s SAAM campaign is “Roads to Reconnection.”

“SAAM is meant to build awareness and increase prevention efforts in ending sexual violence. Here at UH Mānoa, it is imperative that we build a sense of community and safety for our haumāna (students),” said Jamie Newalu, UH Mānoa advocate. “It is everyone’s kuleana to look after one another. Sexual assault is not a light matter, and we all probably know someone who has been impacted by sexual violence. I encourage everyone to come and join our efforts to stand against sexual violence, and to reconnect with the community as we come back to campus.”

Roads to Reconnection

• Wednesday, April 6, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. at Campus Center Courtyard

A resource fair featuring both on- and off-campus resources where participants can learn more about sexual violence prevention and healing. Alongside UH Mānoa resources, there will be featured community resources which include the Sex Abuse Treatment Center, Domestic Violence Action Center, Planned Parenthood, ���ʻ��̄���� Nā Pua, �鶹��ý State Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Nā Leo Kāne. The event will include music, fun and games.

Roads to Reconnection: Standing Together

• Thursday, April 14, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. at Campus Center Courtyard

A resource fair featuring UH Mānoa student groups and resources that are standing together to prevent sexual violence. Participants can come and join your peers on spreading awareness to end sexual violence. The event will include music, prize giveaways and free food.

TEAL Thursday

• Thursday, April 14, 9 a.m–2 p.m. at Queen Liliʻuokalani Center for Student Services (QLCSS)

In honor of SAAM, an awareness display will be presented at QLCSS. Come and check out the display, take selfies and have a reflective moment as we all embrace the kuleana of ending sexual violence. Everyone is encouraged to wear teal for this “TEAL Thursday” event.

On- and off-campus resources

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organizers of SAAM events would like to emphasize the resources, both on- and off-campus, that are available to everyone. The SAAM events are co-sponsored by UH ��ā�ԴDz�’s Women’s Center, , UH System Confidential Advocate and the office.

“UH Mānoa is the largest university in the State of �鶹��ý, and we are cultivating many future leaders, advocates and brilliant minds that will make an impact in this world,” said Newalu. “It is important that as a university community, we stand together and advocate against sexual and gender-based violence to make this a safe environment for our growing leaders to develop. Sexual violence knows no bounds, and is a pervasive problem across the world. It will take a collective effort from everyone, especially our future leaders, to put an end to sexual violence.”

For more information on upcoming events, follow @PAUviolence, @uhmwomen, @uhadvocate and @manoaadvocate on Instagram. For questions, contact Newalu at (808) 956-9499.

To create educational and work environments at the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� that are free from sexual harassment and discrimination, the campus has several valuable resources including the ����ԴDz� Advocate. The confidential provides assessment, support, resources and navigation for UH ����ԴDz� students, faculty or staff who may be experiencing sex- or gender-based discrimination, harassment, sexual assault, domestic/dating violence or stalking.

“I want people of the UH ����ԴDz� community to know that I’m here for them. If anyone thinks they may be experiencing sex- or gender-based harassment, discrimination, or violence they don’t have to feel alone,” said ����ԴDz� Advocate Jamie Newalu. “There are options and support for them, and I’m here to help them navigate their options. It can be particularly tricky for those in dating or domestic violence relationships, so I encourage them to reach out for support when they are ready.”

Students and staff who need assistance can reach out to the office to discuss their options (i.e. reporting, interventions, support) both within and outside of UH ����ԴDz�. Services that the ����ԴDz� Advocate can offer are referrals, counseling, advocacy, safety planning and support as appropriate to the personal circumstances.

The ����ԴDz� Advocate is a designated confidential resource for Title IX related matters. Limitations to confidentiality may apply if the responding party (alleged perpetrator, offender or abuser) is an employee of UH, as the university may have a duty to respond. In such circumstances, privacy will be upheld to the extent permitted by law.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the ����ԴDz� Advocate, the , UH ����ԴDz� Women’s Center and Domestic Violence Action Center (DVAC) have partnered to hold events throughout the month.

#UHWeAllKnow1 social media campaign and give away by PAU Violence

• Throughout October 2021

Follow PAU Violence on and to help spread awareness for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. There will be opportunities to participate and win prizes.

Domestic violence awareness table at Campus Center

• Thursday, October 14, 10:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
• Monday, October 18, 10:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.

Check out the resource table at Campus Center in conjunction with Domestic Violence Action Center.

Virtual presentation: Online dating safety and upstander support

• Wednesday, October 20, 12–1 p.m.

Pandemic limiting options for meeting someone in person? Talk story with DVAC’s TAP808 team about ways to be safe and smart when using dating apps and matching with potential partners or hook ups. Learn how to support a friend who may be experiencing an unhealthy or abusive relationship. Let’s be intentional about how we show up for each other. Sign-ups for this virtual presentation at:

Beautiful Pieces: A Glass Mosaic Experience hosted by Nā Wahine ʻo Lapaʻau

• Sunday, October 24, 6–7 p.m.

Join a small intimate glass mosaic workshop to acknowledge domestic violence survivors. Go to and Instagram accounts and sign-up, link in the bio. Or email nawahineolapaau@gmail.com. Space is limited.

The Bystander Moment film virtual screening and discussion

• Screening: October 15–25
• Discussion: Monday, October 25, 12–1 p.m.

Join a virtual screening and discussion with PAU Violence and Nā Leo Kāne on The Bystander Moment. For more information email UHMPAU@hawaii.edu.

To contact the ����ԴDz� Advocate, please email manoaadv@hawaii.edu or call (808) 956-9499.

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the and partners will hold on October 26, 6–7:30 p.m. The community is invited to come together to remember those who have been lost due to domestic violence and to support and celebrate those who survived.

“We hope to show those who face domestic violence that they are not alone, that there is help, that there is hope,” PAU Violence Program Coordinator Christopher Yanuaria said. “We hope that all will find the time to join us and aim to make awareness of this issue open and less of a taboo.”

In addition to the candlelight ceremony, the event will include commemorative performances, guest speakers, education and confidential advocacy services.

Uʻilani ��’H�������辱��’s story

Before becoming the confident person she is today with a successful seven-year marriage and the Mrs. �鶹��ý United States 2020 crown, Uʻilani ��’H�������辱�� spent 16 years in abusive relationships. Her last one ended in 2007, and although she found it difficult to leave, once she made the decision, she never looked back.

“That relationship completely broke me as a person,” she said. “It left me isolated from family and friends, with no self-esteem and confidence whatsoever.”

��’H�������辱�� credits involvement in her church and four years of counseling for helping her change her life.

“My counseling was so important in my healing journey,” she said. “Although it was hard at times, it allowed me to learn how to love myself again. I learned that my self worth was not dependent on what anyone said or thought about me. I learned how important it was to have self-worth, and self respect. Confidence started to exude as I began to develop my self esteem. Today, I am a very different woman from the woman I once was.”

Please know that you are loved, you are special, and you deserve so much more in life…your past does not determine your future!!
—Uʻilani ��’H�������辱��

More than 1 in 3 women (34.7%) and 1 in 4 men (24.1%) in �鶹��ý have experienced sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime, according the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, domestic violence continues to ravage communities. This virtual vigil is an opportunity to unite the UH campuses and greater community to end domestic violence and envision a brighter future without violence.

“This candlelight vigil is so important to me, because it allows us to recognize the destructive cycle of abuse here in our islands,” ��’H�������辱�� said. “By honoring and remembering the victims of abuse, we are able to acknowledge and identify those lives lost were not lost in vain.”

��’H�������辱�� has a message of support for anyone struggling with abuse. “Please know that you are loved, you are special, and you deserve so much more in life. Please get yourself into counseling, and surround yourself with loved ones and friends. Make a plan to get yourself safe (if needed). Stay strong. Make a decision to give yourself a better opportunity in life by getting out of the abuse. Remember this…your past does not determine your future!!”

If you are experiencing sex discrimination and/or gender-based violence (including sexual harassment, gender-based harassment, dating and domestic violence, stalking, sexual exploitation and sexual assault), you may contact the UH Office of Institutional Equity’s confidential advocate for your campus.

Register for the online.

The is dedicated to ensuring the safety of everyone in our campus community. As part of that commitment, on-campus agencies have teamed up to produce a video educating students on the university’s many resources for reporting sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking and other prohibited behaviors covered under Title IX and the Violence Against Women Act.

When an issue of sex/gender-based misconduct is reported, UH has a responsibility to provide support and resources and to proceed in a way that seeks to honor the rights of the students affected by the report. The UH ����ԴDz� , UH ����ԴDz� , and collaborated on a video titled “Sexual Assault and Intimate Partner Violence: What You Need to Know.”

The video features the different options available in the reporting process, resources available to responding parties, how each department will work on behalf of the student to meet their needs, and how the departments work together to ensure that the student receives all available resources and information.

“It is our hope that this video will help students understand the role of each department and how to navigate the reporting process in the way that fits their needs,” said Dee Uwono, UH ����ԴDz� Title IX director. “We believe that by clarifying the roles of each office, students will have the tools necessary to decide which resources to enlist if they or someone they know is a victim of sexual assault or intimate partner violence.”

Jennifer Pagala Barnett, program coordinator for the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� Women’s Center, is one of nine community members recognized by Governor David Ige for “embracing their voice” to prevent sexual violence during Sexual Assault Awareness Month in �鶹��ý in April.

As a licensed social worker, Barnett is strongly grounded in student affairs, where she strives to support holistic student development and create safe and inclusive campus environments for students to grow personally and academically.

She also serves as the coordinator for the UH Systemwide , which focuses on education and crisis services for students around the issues of sexual assault, dating, domestic violence and stalking on all UH campuses.

“Jen is an amazing woman. She is always there for our students and is willing to go above and beyond to ensure that they feel safe on campus,” said a UH graduate student. “Jen is extremely personable, kindhearted and always puts the needs of students first.”

Barnett has emerged as a leader in the field of sexual violence prevention in �鶹��ý and serves as the Higher Education Community Action Team chair for the Department of Health. In this role, she has brought together key stakeholders from community college and university campuses around the state to implement comprehensive prevention education plans on campuses.

“Jennifer is an engaging and dynamic trainer, who has the ability to introduce difficult topics like sexual assault and domestic violence to audiences on campuses and in the community,” said Christine Quemuel, UH ����ԴDz� interim assistant vice chancellor for diversity. “She provides critically important advocacy and support for students who have personally experienced violence.”

The governor recognized the honorees at a ceremony on April 13.

For more about Sexual Assault Awareness Month in �鶹��ý, .

To promote awareness of and take action to prevent sexual violence, the is holding the first UH ����ԴDz� Respect Walk on Monday, April 16. Students, faculty and staff are invited to participate in the 1-mile walk around the UH ����ԴDz� campus that starts and ends at the Campus Center Courtyard.

The event is presented by the in partnership with the Sex Abuse Treatment Center. “Throughout the event, students and faculty can learn more about the resources available to address sexual violence, including confidential advocacy, respondent support and health services,” said Leslie Cabingabang, PAU Violence Program coordinator at UH ����ԴDz�.

“Additionally, participants can learn more about what we can all do individually to be prosocial bystanders and prevent situations that can potentially lead to sexual violence,” Cabingabang said.

Organizers say that too often bystanders do not intervene in personal relationships because they feel it is not their place or it is not safe to get involved. They hope to raise consciousness about actions that can be taken to prevent sexual violence.

Schedule of events

Campus Center Courtyard

• 10:30 a.m.—Sign-in and on-site registration
• 11:45 a.m.—Opening remarks
• Noon—Walk starts

To participate in the Respect Walk, .

For more information, .