It is late, too late to be walking home alone. Somehow during the course of the night all your friends disappeared leaving you to walk back in the dark. Suddenly, you feel someone’s presence behind you, as you begin walking faster you realize, it is too late and too dark to find help. You are alone.

One in six female college students reported having been a victim of rape or attempted rape the preceding year, while only 5 percent of college rapes are ever reported. These are some of the many statistics that has made sexual assault such an important topic.

“This event isn’t about man hating. It’s about education,” said RAGE member April Wood, “We want men to get involved as well, often men will listen to other men better.”

As a part of the Be The Change Week, the Rape Awareness Gender Education (RAGE) group kicked off its first Women’s Rights Day on Wednesday. Together with, the Undergraduate Women’s Council (UWC), Amnesty International and the Vagina Monologues, RAGE began its campaign to involve and educate students on the effects and statistics of sexual assault.

“We want to raise awareness that women’s issues are still a big deal. It is not a dead topic,” said RAGE and UWC member, Jessica Campbell.

To get the DU community’s attention, free vagina cookies were handed out and students were encouraged to look at the pictures of famous women and a collage of how the media portrays women. On a table nearby, students clustered around, waiting to decorate wifebeaters that displayed the message, “Take Back the Wifebeater, Stop Domestic Violence.”

About 20 supporters and members of sexual assault awareness groups put on the event. The goal of the event was to address the differences between genders, to promote a correct understanding of what sexual assault entails, and to promote change and equality for women. Although the main goal of the program was to educate the DU community, the organizations also hoped to attract the interest of both men and women who wanted to get involved in social change.