Employers can change lives by adopting policies to help victims of domestic and sexual violence

[caption id="attachment_2072" align="alignleft" width="200"] Mary MacLaren, chair, Workplace EAP Task Force, Chicago Says No More[/caption] By Mary MacLaren Without context, the statistics about domestic and sexual violence are shocking, but distant. One of three women and one of seven men experience domestic violence  at some point during their life. And, every 98 seconds someone in the United States is sexually assaulted. When you take time to apply those percentages to your workplace, however, they take on new meaning. Do you work with 100 employees? One thousand?  Do you know any of your colleagues or co-workers who are DV survivors? How many may be...

How I Survived Sexual Assault Twice and Learned the Healing Power of Advocacy

  [caption id="attachment_1999" align="alignleft" width="240"] Mae Flores on her way to TEDx Hoboken at O’Hare International Airport on November 2, 2017.[/caption] By Mae Flores It was my final year at Hinsdale Central High School. I was 18 years old. My family was on a cruise in the Caribbean during the New Year’s holiday. That was when it first happened. I always was a happy kid and grew up with privileges most kids could only dream of while living in a western suburb of Chicago. I had strong female role models in my life. Some people associate being victimized with poverty. I was the opposite....

Chicago’s Women Employed in a New Moment

[caption id="attachment_1994" align="alignleft" width="271"] Director of Strategic Partnerships at Women Employed, a nonprofit advocacy organization based in Chicago, Illinois, dedicated to improving women's economic status and remove barriers to economic equity.[/caption] By Sharmili Majmudar The recent avalanche of public outcry about sexual harassment began just as the non-profit I work for—Women Employed (WE), advocating for gender equity since the 1970s—was organizing an event, Everyday Feminism, on making the workplace better for women. The event featured a dynamic panel of Chicago leaders including Chicago Says No More founder and Mesirow Financial COO/CFO Kristie Paskvan. We know power relationships have been used to perpetuate this...

Chicago Catholics respond to the challenges of Domestic Violence

By Rev. Charles Dahm, O.P. [caption id="attachment_1959" align="alignleft" width="300"] CBS 2 Chicago’s Dana Kozlov, Rev. Charles Dahm, O.P., and Chicago Says No More Founder Kristie Paskvan at a celebration last Spring of Rev. Dahm’s 80th birthday and fundraiser for Archdiocese of Chicago DVO ministries.[/caption] About 10 years ago, I began preaching about the tragic suffering of women and children who are brutally abused, physically and emotionally, in their own homes. Sadly, the problem continues to grow even as it gains the attention of many volunteer ministers in the parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Chicago. My response to parishioners in families needing help at...

How do you stop teen sexual abuse before it starts?

Union League Boys and Girls Club staff learn to anticipate, intervene and prevent sexual abuse By Mary Ann Mahon-Huels, president and CEO, Union League Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago.   As  president and CEO of the Union League Boys and Girls Club (ULBGC), serving  approximately 14,000 youngsters and teens who are members of clubs in our nine locations and a staff of 190, I always am seeking training beneficial to our leadership and ultimately our members. Through a member of my Board, I was introduced to Kristie Paskvan who founded Chicago Says No More. Although I was aware of the importance of understanding...

The Most Dangerous Time

Leaving is impossible if you have no place to go By Pat Davenport, a member of the Steering Committee of Chicago Says No More, is the Executive Director of A Safe Place in Zion, Illinois. When people ask why a victim of domestic violence stays with an abuser, frequently those asking the question fail to recognize the most basic human need—the need for shelter. The biggest barrier to victims leaving their abusers is often they have nowhere to go. At A Safe Place, our primary mission is to remove barriers to leaving an abusive relationship. And, to that end, A Safe Place provides...

Quick Escape