Media Round-Up: #BeenRapedNeverReported
Sexual violence is not a topic that usually takes the proportions that it has in the past few weeks. Jian Ghomeshi's story may have been the starting point, but the response has now grown broader.
If you’ve ever had to explain to anyone why women may choose to not report sexual assaults, the ongoing discussion in traditional and social media comes as a relief. Women don’t report for a ton of reasons, the least of which they’re often not believe and it usually doesn’t result in consequences for the perpetrators. Women have been speaking out thanks in part to a hashtag started by two Canadian journalists. The space has allowed for an outpour of support and solidarity among women and men to break the silence. Time will tell if reporting of sexual violence will improve for women, and if the current discussion will lead to real action on violence against women.
Below are some key contributions. How #BeenRapedNeverReported became a movement | Antonia Zerbisias
#BeenRapedNeverReported started a global discussion about rape | Sue Montgomery
Allegations have opened floodgate for a host of previously untold Hill stories | Chantal Hébert
Sorry, we haven’t reached a ‘watershed’ on violence against women | Denise Balkissoon The topic rages in Québec as well, with several high profile women sharing stories of past sexual assaults. The Fédération des Femmes du Québec has started up a French campaign with the hashtag: #AgressionNonDénoncée, which has seen thousands of posts in the past 24 hours. Le courage de dénoncer | Rita Elkouri La honte | Michèle Ouimet
Meanwhile, a new alliance of women’s organization are gearing up to affect the 2015 federal election from a feminist perspective. Up For Debate is “an alliance of over 100 women’s organizations and their allies from across Canada united in raising awareness about women’s rights in the lead up to the 2015 federal election”.
With the National Day of Rememberance and Action Against Violence Against Women just around the corner, on December 6th, the time seems right to put women’s rights and equality at the forefront of our struggles.