NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 18, 2019) – YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee will host the first ever national conference on violence against women and healthy masculinity Sept. 9 and 10 in Nashville. Keynote and featured speakers include actor, activist and Time Magazine Person of the Year Terry Crews, actor and former NFL star Eddie George, survivor and activist Brenda Tracy, and Alejandra Castillo, CEO of YWCA USA.
“SHIFT: An AMEND Together Conference,” is a 2-day event to confront the crisis of violence against women. AMEND Together, a program of YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee is dedicated to ending violence against women and girls by engaging men and boys to change the culture that supports violence. The conference is supported by Vanderbilt University’s Sports & Society Initiative and YWCA USA.
The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence reports nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the U.S. One in four women and one in nine men will experience severe intimate partner physical violence, sexual violence, and/or stalking. The Nashville-based affiliate of YWCA USA has spent years developing and implementing AMEND Together, a community-based violence prevention initiative.
“When discussing domestic and sexual violence, the emphasis is typically put on ways women can escape those situations,” said Shan Foster, YWCA VP of External Affairs and AMEND Together. “AMEND Together shifts the culture by educating boys and men on behavioral changes that can prevent incidents before they begin.”
Foster is a former NBA player and collegiate standout who has led YWCA’s AMEND Together program since 2015. He has trained thousands of youth, student-athletes, faith-based and business leaders in Nashville and across the country.
The SHIFT Conference will welcome attendees from all over the country, representing college athletic departments, youth-serving nonprofits, YWCA’s, faith-based and advocacy organizations, and more.
Early registration ends Aug. 9, and event details can be found here. For more information about SHIFT: An AMEND Together Conference, visit http://bit.ly/ywcashift.
About YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee
YWCA is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Programs include Domestic Violence Services, Girls Inc., AMEND Together, Dress for Success Nashville and the Family Learning Center. For more, visit us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.