People from across the state gathered in Atlanta Thursday for "Stop Violence Against Women Day." The day focuses on helping women fight back against attackers.
Paige Slocumb from Macon dedicates her life to teaching women how to defend themselves. She says learning how to fight off an attacker could have saved her sister's life.
"My sister was riding her bike on the Silver Comet Trail, and a man ran out of the woods and knocked her off her bike and she was raped and murdered. After that happened, I feel like my family thought we needed to do something to get something good out of that tragedy," said Slocumb.
Her family started a non-profit organization called Safe Alone to teach women how to handle an attack.
Slocumb says her sister was not prepared for an attack. She says having a plan and staying calm are the two most important things women should do.
She says, if an attacker grabs you around that neck or puts a hand over your mouth, you can grab one finger to pull the hand away, instead of grabbing the whole hand. She also suggests bending your knees to create a bigger base of support. She says this will make it more difficult for an attacker to move you.
Gloria Cisse, a therapist at Southern Center for Choice Theory, tells women to speak out if they become a victim. She says talking to people with similar experiences can help someone cope.
Slocumb says reaching out to others helped her deal with her sister's death, and she hopes speaking out will prevent other women from becoming victims.