“History of Women and Consent” will be presented at noon on Thursday, March 17, by Lindsey Criswell at Urbana University’s Swedenborg Memorial Library, 579 College Way, in recognition of Women’s History Month. The public is invited to this free event and is welcome to bring a brown bag lunch to eat during the presentation.
Criswell will outline what consent for women has looked like throughout the years. She points out that marital rape was legal for many years. Attendees will hear about the current concept of consent, rape myths, the perfect victim and victim blaming. Criswell will offer advice to those who have been or know someone who might have been sexually assaulted.
Criswell serves as a Campus Victim Advocate for Project Woman. She earned a Sociology degree with a concentration in criminology and a minor in Women’s Studies from Wittenberg University. She worked at the Project Woman shelter before taking the position of campus advocate.