Group uses flash mob to bring awareness to violence against women

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Approximately 1 billion women have be victims of sexual violence across the world. That's according to the V-day organization, a group devoted to bringing awareness to violence against women. The group co-sponsors a global campaign and flash mob event called "One Billion Rising" to raise awareness to violence against women.

Something that hits home for Purdue student and event organizer Amberly Simpson.

"I had been through an experience with a sexual assault when I was 17," Simpson said.  "I'm 20 now and it was something that took me a really long time to come to terms with and even admit to people, and I would say admitting that is something I haven't been able to do until the past couple of weeks and months."

That's when Simpson said she started planning the flash mob for "One Billion Rising" and met other women who've also been victims like Purdue student Lizzie Teer.

"We didn't even know that we were both victims of this awful thing and we wanted to stand up for ourselves for once and really make a difference here at Purdue and really bring awareness to it because it happens to more people than you think," Teer said.

Women weren't the only ones showing their support. Eric Thiel said he's danced for his daughters.

"This is an important issue for men to be addressing, not just women," Thiel said. "Women tend to be the victims of domestic violence and rape. Men have to change their consciousness and their approach."

According to the Indiana Coalition Against Sexual Assault one in seven Indiana women will be raped in their lifetime. Something U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly says needs to change.  Donnelly co-sponsored the Violence Against Women Act, which was recently passed in the Senate after expiring in 2011.

"I thought it was critically important to send a statement to not only everyone in our state, but in our country that we will stand up for our families, we will stand up for the women in our families, the women in the state, their children. We stand together in this effort," Donnelly said.