activism
Feminist activists are not deterred by the daunting statistics so much as they're fueled by them.
No more shame
I’ve had a lot of time on my hands to think lately and, I think back to times when I shared my life experience with what I thought were “safe” people. When it comes to the subject of rape, it’s interesting how when it is something that is not controlled by the victim; people always lay blame on the victim, for putting themselves in dangerous situations, by, drinking too much, or, wearing a revealing outfit when in fact most of the time it has nothing to do with that. It has to do with another persons sense of entitlement to their fellow humans, body. It is the culture our society creates that somehow, if you wear the right clothing, don’t drink, go to church, do ABC, you should be ok. It’s deplorable. I remember all the times after mine how I talked myself into believing it was consensual because I was too terrified to face the truth. The truth being that my first time having sex, was not consensual, I said no, several times. The first boyfriend I ever had, raped me the first time I ever had sex. It is something that has been engrained in my mind for nearly a decade. You can do everything right, you can say no, you can try to be in control but when fight or flight hits... you can’t control how your body will react, you float off into the deepest parts of your mind and disappear. It’s interesting because a lot of my old friends know this guy, they hangout with him, shit, their probably friends with his sleazy ass. I just know it’s been weighing on my mind quite a bit lately, and, I have nothing to be ashamed of. Nor should any other victim of rape. No is no, no matter what. If you know who I’m talking about, just be weary because he’s a disgusting human being, and, also stalked me for 2 years after we broke up, we only dated 6 months. Isn’t it crazy ? The lies we tell our minds because we’re just too ashamed to admit the truth because the truth is just too much to face sometimes. It’s been 9 years, and yet there are days where I’m so disgusted with my own body that I can’t get out of bed because of this fleeting moment in my life that was stolen from me. Yet, this man probably never even has a second thought of me.
By Juli Cofresi5 years ago in Viva
The #MeToo movement is no longer about the victims
In 2017, the MeToo movement promised something that many victims of sexual assault could never have dreamed of. After centuries of silencing women’s voices and scoffing at their stories, one hashtag suddenly became a beacon of hope for survivors around the world – promising real change to the way we regard sexual assault allegations, and offering a community they could seek refuge in.
By Iris Espanenza5 years ago in Viva
Sexual Harassment and the consequences of a society based on male dominance.
For many women the ability to advance their career, get a better grade in school, get out of a speeding ticket, provide for your children when you are a single mother; may unfortunately put them in a place to use their sexuality to succeed. For some men all women are an easy target. Especially vulnerable, desperate women.
By S. L. Yarbrough5 years ago in Viva
5 Interesting Things You Should Know About Aisha Yesufu.
Who really is this brave woman? If you have been keeping up with the news about the #EndSars movement, a movement which has drawn attention to the brutality and harassment of Nigerian people by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), then even if the name Aisha Yesufu isn’t familiar to you, her picture is.
By Jide Okonjo5 years ago in Viva
On RBG's Passing
I grew up with a homemaker mother, a working father. I was raised to believe that women belonged at home, men at work. I grew up with conservative Republican parents as a bisexual woman, and I heard a lot of political discussions between my grandfather and my dad and my great uncles. Women didn't talk politics in our house.
By Shentel Downes6 years ago in Viva
What me too cases mean for the movement
So we have had at least 3 legal cases that has to do with me too like stories. We had the Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinestein and R Kelly cases. If you want to lump Jeffrey Epstein into this then you can. There was some talk about what this will do for the movement after the trails ended. There was also some talk about what this means for the movement. I want to look at what they mean to the movement and what they will do in this article.
By Lena Bailey6 years ago in Viva
Women Supporting Women
I recently started seeing instagram photos which are part of a new challenge for women to show support for each other. So basically what it requires is a female friend to nominate you to post a photo of yourself, which you post, which then shows that they support you. This is indeed a positive social media trend that I believe is needed - especially with our females on social media While it's refreshing to see a positive social media trend among women, it does make you question why women supporting each other is even a challenge to begin with?
By Leighton Beck6 years ago in Viva
My Voice Has Power
Why doesn't she eat anything? Is she hurting herself on purpose? She probably just wants attention. I heard it all growing up. When I was 16, I was raped by a stranger. As a 16 year old perfectionist, I blamed myself. I had already struggled with body image issues and eating disorder tendencies so when the assault happened, I spiraled.
By Staci Dillon6 years ago in Viva
