University of Hawaiʻi students, faculty, administrators, regents and coaches helped to raise awareness on October 4 alongside hundreds of fellow community members in the 24th annual Men’s March Against Violence. The march started at the state Capitol and ended at ʻIolani Palace.
“I want to participate in spreading the word, because I think a lot of the issue is about awareness,” said Kevin Card, UH Mānoa John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) first-year medical student, “Doctors have the first-hand response to instances of domestic violence in the roles we play in our community. We want this problem to come to a halt.”
Each year in Hawaiʻi, about 50,000 women between the ages of 18 and 64 suffer from some form of domestic violence, and UH’s own community has not been immune to the problem. Approximately 19 percent of UH students have experienced dating or domestic violence, according to the results of a groundbreaking survey by the university in the 10-campus system released earlier this year.
“The reason we’re doing this is to bring awareness to the community and to engage the men in the community to support women and avert violence, in particular interpersonal violence, which is a significant problem and often not discussed enough,” said Jerris Hedges, JABSOM dean. “So to bring a crowd out of over 1,000 people, mainly men, making a statement, it really is important to the community.”
UH Mānoa Athletics Director David Matlin and numerous UH athletes and coaches participated in recent marches. Eran Ganot, head men’s basketball coach, participated in the march with wife Barb and daughter Zeza.
“This is my fourth march, and I’ve been here for as many years,” Ganot said. “I’ve marched every year with my staff, my players and my family. I march with my girls.”
A JABSOM video from the Men’s March
Go the the John A. Burns School of Medicine’s Flickr site for more photos from the march.
