October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and NYS will be offering various webinars, educational tools, and awareness initiatives for the public. We are posting this information in advance so that everyone is aware of what is planned for October.  Please see below:

Purple Thursday and Social Media

Thursday, October 19, is ‘Purple Thursday,’ when the community wears purple to raise awareness for domestic violence. Staff is encouraged to tag OPDV with any purple attire photos and posts for Purple Thursday.

The New York State Clothesline Project, October 17-19 in the Empire State Plaza Concourse

In partnership with the Office of General Services (OGS), OPDV will sponsor The New York State Clothesline Project. The exhibit will be a visual display of statistics that usually go ignored. It will feature a display of t-shirts decorated by survivors with words and artwork hanging from clotheslines, with informational posters between them explaining the history and importance of the Clothesline Project. The exhibit will serve as an educational tool on the prevalence of domestic violence for the public and as a healing tool for survivors. 

Lunch & Learn: Webinar Series- Increasing Safety for State Employees: NYS GBV Workplace Policy

**Webinar for all state employees

Throughout October, OPDV’s GBV & the Workplace program will host weekly lunch and learns for ALL state employees. These Lunch & Learns will be 20-minute presentations focusing on the basics of Gender-Based Violence and Workplace policies and how survivors can contact their DVAL to discuss workplace safety planning and accommodations.

Domestic Violence 101 Webinar Series

Throughout October, OPDV will host a weekly 1-hour free webinar on domestic violence, open to all. These webinars will cover definitions, power and control tactics, staying versus leaving, and survivor-centered responses. The Lunch & Learns and the DV 101 webinars are an excellent opportunity for individuals to learn about domestic violence's intricacies. 

Please stay tuned for updates as they become available.