Dana Bolger: D.C.'s Campus Rape Survivor Turned Title IX Activist
Dana Bolger: D.C.'s Campus Rape Survivor Turned Title IX Activist
Organizers such as Amherst College alum Dana Bolger are bringing new life and activism to the enforcement of the historic women's rights law, called Title IX.
Bolger, co-founder of Know Your IX, said her organization aims "to give students that basic legal literacy around the rights they have and the schools' responsibilities to fill them," by informing college students that the federal law requires academic institutions that receive federal funds to not discriminate on the basis of gender. "If you don't know you have them [these rights] you can't protect them and insist that your school honor them," Bolger said.
Bolger, along with other survivors of sexual violence, founded Know Your IX after discovering firsthand the impact of not knowing her rights. After her report of sexual violence and stalking by a fellow student to a college dean, Bolger temporarily left campus as the dean recommended. Later, she learned she was entitled to stay on campus and continue her education. "Once I learned I had that right I was able to stand up for myself and march into meetings with administrators and demand my place on campus," Bolger said.
Now a full-time job for Bolger, Know Your IX has a two-pronged strategy. First, the organization educates students about their rights to an education free from violence. The website, written largely by survivors and with the guidance of attorneys, covers basic information on Title IX and provides resources ranging from starting a campaign on individual campuses to how to find a lawyer. It also publishes "Know Your Rights" advertisements in campus newspapers and online.
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http://womensenews.org/story/21-leaders-the-21st-century/141220/21-leaders-2015-seven-who-interrupt-legacy-narratives?page=0,1#Bolger
