I’ve written often about my experience of sexual violence, but I don’t often go into a lot of detail. This week, I decided that needed to change. I know the source of so much pain has been not having another survivor sharing a story like mine and I don’t want other survivors to feel as alone as I did.
Continue reading “Listening || What Nobody Tells You About Rape: Transcript”
Dear you,
It’s a sad kind of wonderful sisterhood to speak to someone like you. I discovered that I can tell you my story, safe in the knowledge that you understand the small parts.
This isn’t news to you as it’s something I’ve written about before (here, here and here) but in the midst of the latest social media movement #MeToo I find myself writing about it again. This is about sexual violence and frankly is a bit of a rant, so feel free not to read on if either of those things bother you.
Today, three months into a six month sentence, Brock Turner walked out of prison. Like many others, this rapist’s woefully short sentence was halved for ‘good behaviour’ in what cannot be interpreted as anything other than a slap in the face to his victim and to survivors across the world. TW: Rape and sexual assault.
The first time I called myself a ‘survivor’ was when I [stupidly] attended the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict. I was sitting in one of the photo exhibitions and a young woman holding a microphone asked if she could interview me for her radio show. She asked me why I was at the summit. I looked up and blurted out “I’m a rape survivor”.
It started with a conversation with my mother. I’ve never told her that she started me on my way to being a proud feminist, so I’ll likely be getting a phone call this evening.
Continue reading “Thinking || What International Women’s Day means to me”
I first met Pavan Amara about six weeks ago and remember thinking to myself “are you sure this is Pavan Amara?”. Let me explain – a year or so ago, I read about something called the My Body Back Project. Pavan had set up the project after her own experience with sexual violence, determined to help fellow survivors in reclaiming their bodies.
Continue reading “Thinking || #WEcount: Reclaiming London for Survivors”
When I saw Amber Amour’s distress staring back at me, I looked at my computer screen with a mix of awe and despair. For here we are in 2016, when one woman felt that she needed to live blog her experience of being raped. Continue reading “Thinking || Why is this necessary?”
Martha Is 