Three college students have launched a movement to help empower their peers to prevent sexual assault on college campuses nationwide.
After a recent discussion about their shared experience with sexual assault, Syracuse University students Caroline Heres and Jackie Reilly decided that something needed to be done. Together with their sorority sister Julie Gelb, the girls created "The Girl Code Movement," which aims to "unite college women across the country to become active operatives to stop a rape from happening."
In November, the group launched a Facebook page that now has almost 7,000 likes. Through the page, the team shares quotes and statistics about sexual assault, as well as ways for college students to stay safe. "“We wanted to do something for women and by women, so that we can create a better relationship among women on campus. We don’t want to see each other as competitors, but instead people who are going to look out for each other," Heres told BuzzFeed.
The girls hope to continue raising awareness and promoting "bystander empowerment" to ultimately make college campuses safer for women everywhere. “The idea is that women can take power by doing things that will preemptively help other women," Reilly explained.