In this powerful talk, our SAGE member, Tabitha recalls a time when she was consumed by an overwhelming desire to do something about the sexual violence and trauma she saw in her community. Trauma is like a relay baton, she says, trauma not transformed is trauma transferred.
Today, most of the world is not completely sure what consent really means. Rosalia Rivera is a passionate consent educator, sexual literacy advocate, speaker, change agent, and survivor turned thriver.
As an Indian non-binary survivor of violence due to my sexual orientation and gender identity, I struggle to find myself in conversations around violence, child safety, and sexual literacy. The people I look up to in my community: my family, teachers, peers, and social workers often disappoint me or reject my experiences because they fall through the gaps of their very limited understanding of what violence is and who can experience it in what ways. The deformed mirror and whirlpool of images are how I see the world around me, just as it sees me. “Mirror Soup” And every time I look into you, you simmer. It fell through the cracks in you, mirror soup. Mirror soup: why is it that others see themselves? And every time I look into you, you simmer. In a world as rigid as glass and just as fragile.
By using mapping technology to track sexual abuse and harassment, ElsaMarie D'Silva is forcing the issue into public consciousness and creating real change in cities across India and Nepal.
Countless delicate pink petals covered the old, worn-out paving stones on the path winding around the church. The spring wind blew the petals swirling from the trees. Quietly the petals covered over the child’s soul, like broken-off butterfly wings.
This is a one-minute trailer of Florence’s story of violence in childhood which is presented along with other stories as part of a 13-minute documentary available at Survivors of child violence tell their stories
We arrived, setting up our stall backed by a large cartoon showing G7 Leaders bringing child abuse to the table, alongside other pressing issues such as Ukraine and climate change. “NOW WE CAN START”, declares the cartoon President Scholz, a nod to the clear message sanctioned in June by the German G7 Presidency – ending childhood sexual abuse would be firmly on the G7 agenda. The #BeBrave G7 Scorecard stood next to us, laying bare the lack of progress made by G7 nations to end childhood sexual violence. An extraordinarily varied group, with one shared vision: a world in which children grow up free from sexual violence. Direct, uncompromising, and unapologetic, demanding that these world leaders take seriously the pandemic of child sexual violation, a phenomenon as widespread and potentially deadly as COVID or AIDS. Sexual abuse is not a broken ankle. It causes damages to the core identity of the child or young person, damage that can last a lifetime, unless properly addressed. Stopping sexual abuse is impossible. This particular G7 moment of Truth arrived, in a clear paragraph in the G7 Final Communique: “We commit to step up our fight against trafficking in human beings and our efforts to prevent and combat child sexual abuse and exploitation globally, both online and offline. ” This is the first time that child sexual abuse has been mentioned in over 45 G7 Communiques.
Sign up to the Brave Movement monthly newsletter to stay up-to-date on our efforts and learn more about how YOU can take action.
Thank you for being brave!