Close your eyes.

Picture the most important woman in your life. Now picture her being raped and another man sitting there watching.

This was one of many exercises that more than 250 guests at Iowa’s “Men’s Conference to End Violence Against Women” experienced Thursday afternoon in Howe Hall.

The conference guests included men and women in high-prestige leadership positions throughout the state. Some of Thursday’s guests included Iowa Lt. Gov. Sally Pederson, athletics directors and coaches from the three major universities and District Attorney Don Nickerson.

“I’ve never seen the three universities pull together in such a dramatic way as they did for this conference,” said Bill Fennelly, ISU women’s basketball coach.

Jackson Katz, director of Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP), and Bryon Hurt, associate director of MVP, were the keynote speakers at the conference. The men spoke throughout the conference except for Pederson’s noon address.

“There are three times more animal shelters than battered-women shelters in the United States today,” she said. “No one should have to live under the shadow of abuse.”

Hurt and Katz explained why men need to be involved with stopping violence against women.

Katz asked male and female guests to list their daily tactics in preventing a sexual assault. The men in the room said they did nothing while the female guests gave 21 responses. A few of the women mentioned carrying keys as a weapon, looking in the back seat of cars before getting in, parking in well-lit areas, not leaving drinks alone at parties and being aware of safe escape routes.

Katz said Vietnam survivors suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome carry themselves the same way women do every day.

Harry Brod, UNI professor for men and masculinities, said he was especially moved by the defense tactics used by the two sexes, especially the men who used the women’s tactics after warfare.

“That’s really striking imagery,” he said. “It’s a war zone.”

In the afternoon, Katz and Hurt focused on what stops a man from helping out in violent situations.

Katz said many men are nonactive bystanders to violence against women by other men.

“We need to focus on the culture because this is not genetically learned,” he said.

Chuck Green, director of the Department of Public Safety at the University of Iowa, said he was glad Iowa State held the conference.

“One of the points I thought really stood out was when he wanted to redefine or restate it as men’s violence instead of violence against women,” Green said.

“I think it does make a good point that men have to become involved. I think it starts at an early age, and if we don’t have people to teach it, then it’s never going to get accomplished,” he said.