Rape, sexual harassment and abuse in dating relationships will be discussed tonight by the founder and director of Mentors in Violence Prevention Strategies.

Jackson Katz, founder and director of MVP Strategies, will discuss forms of gender-based discrimination and violence during his lecture.

“The safety of women is always important to Women’s Week planners and his approach is a unique approach,” said Pat Miller, lectures program coordinator.

Katz’s speech will address issues that coincide with the efforts of the week, Miller said.

He is being co-sponsored by the ISU Committee on Lectures and the Week Without Violence committee.

Julie Harders, ISU representative for the Iowa’s Ending Violence Project, said the issues Katz will refer to have typically been considered women’s issues.

Harders said Katz will also present a gender violence-prevention training program during the afternoon to the guests of today’s Men’s Conference to End Violence Against Women, sponsored by the Iowa’s Ending Violence Project.

“The whole idea is to enlist men as allies in ending violence against women,” she said.

Harders, coordinator of the Story County Sexual Assault Response Team through the ISU Department of Public Safety, said the talk targets “by-stander men,” or men who do not believe in or practice violence, but do not speak up.

Joan Gent, coordinator for Iowa’s Ending Violence Project, said the purpose of Katz’s talk is to “get [men] involved and actually addressing the topics.”

“It’s a serious problem and he addresses it head-on,” she said.

Harders and Gent said they saw Katz speak when they attended a violence prevention training conference this past summer at the University of Northern Iowa.

“He is just an excellent speaker,” she said. “He has a way of connecting with the audience that I think everyone will get a taste of [this] evening.”

Gent also said Katz, who has appeared on shows such as 20/20 and Good Morning America, has a great sense of humor and an extensive background to bring with him to the lecture.

“He’s a powerful speaker, and we’re very excited to have him in Ames,” she said.