National Conference on Violence Against Women Takes Center Stage in Nashville September 9 & 10

Event Features Actor, Artist & Activist Terry Crews and Leaders in
the Gender-Based Violence Arena

NASHVILLE, Tenn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#AMENDTogetherYWCA
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 Time Magazine’s
2017 Person of the Year and Silence Breaker, 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 conference 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 and Society Initiative and YWCA USA.

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, nearly 20
people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the
United States. One in four women and one in nine men will experience
severe intimate partner physical violence, intimate partner contact
sexual violence, and/or intimate partner stalking. The Nashville-based
affiliate of YWCA USA has spent years developing and implementing AMEND
Together, a unique, community-based violence prevention initiative.

“When discussing domestic and sexual violence, the emphasis is typically
put on ways women can escape those situations. AMEND Together shifts the
culture by educating boys and men on behavioral changes that can prevent
domestic violence incidents before they start,” said Shan Foster, YWCA
VP of External Affairs and AMEND Together. “The SHIFT Conference is the
first of its kind and puts the growing issue of gender-based violence on
the national stage.”

Foster is a former NBA player and collegiate standout and was named the
SEC Men’s Basketball Player of the Year. He has led YWCA’s AMEND
Together program since joining the organization in 2015 and 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,
YWCAs, domestic violence organizations, law enforcement, victim’s
advocates, religious institutions, and more.

Early registration for the conference ends Aug. 9, and full 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

For 120 years, YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee has helped women, girls
and families in Nashville and Middle Tennessee build safer, more
self-sufficient lives. 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 information, visit www.ywcanashville.com
and follow us on Twitter @YWCANashville,
Instagram @YWCANashville
and Facebook at facebook.com/YWCANashville.

Contacts

Sarah Hunt-Blackwell,
MP&F Strategic Communications
[email protected]
| (615) 259-4000

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