Handprints will fill the Frank W. Hale Jr. Black Cultural Center this week as a signature of Ohio State students’ commitment to end violence against women.

Sororities and fraternities have come together this week for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and 16 Days of Gender Activism. The program began last week with the handprints project featuring handprints of men and women from campus who have pledged not to commit or condone violence. The fraternities involved asked students to seal this pledge by placing their painted or cut-out hand on the display board.

“By doing this they are pledging not to be the cause of domestic violence and they are also signing a pledge that says they realize relationship abuse is a problem and they’re going to do their part by being in healthy relationships,” said Analisa Arroyo, a junior in communications and the current chairwoman of the program.

Fraternity students have been actively involved in raising awareness and Arroyo said she was surprised that the men responded so excitedly.

“I felt like the fraternities were more excited than the sororities,” she said.

Arroyo said it was important for men to take an active role because the program is not only to make women aware of the issue, but men also.

“We asked fraternities to do it because it’s different for men to ask other men rather than women doing it,” Arroyo said. “It’s different for men to reach out to other men and say we realize there is a problem.”

Alpha Psi Lambda, a co-ed Latino-oriented fraternity, began the program in 2003 and this year they asked 10 other fraternities and sororities to join them in the International Day for The Elimination of Violence Against Women and 16 Days of Gender Activism.

Arroyo said in the past fraternities and sororities have had obvious gender and racial segregation, but this year they have come together for a good cause.

“We just wanted to open those barriers. That’s why we invited the other councils,” Arroyo said. “We just wanted to come together to support a cause.”

The program was started by former Alpha Psi Lambda President Joel Diaz and member Ondine Quinn because they “wanted people to see that gender violence is an issue.”

“This is a way of letting people know that they’re not alone,” Diaz said.

Diaz said the program started out small with the showing of the film “In the Time of the Butterflies” and a candlelight vigil.

Diaz said he is pleased and surprised that the International Day for The Elimination of Violence Against Women and 16 Days of Gender Activism has grown to what it is today.

Additions to the program this year include the Silent Witnesses exhibit which will be featured, along with the Handprint Project, at the Hale Center beginning Tuesday from 5-7 p.m.

Also, a woman who was abused for 10 years of her 18 years of marriage will share her testimony on Nov. 7 at the Hale Center at 7:30 p.m.

“I thought it was important this year to actually hear a testimony and let the issue touch closer to home,” Arroyo said.

The program will have a free self-defense class for both men and women at the Hale Center Wednesday 8 at 7 p.m.

“We don’t know what’s going on in people’s lives, but we want them to know people are out there for them,” Arroyo said.