“If you are a person who is alive … in the world, you know a survivor of sexual assault. The extent to which women, men, and transgender people (who don’t fit neatly into a male/female gender binary) are sexually assaulted is unknown because of the elements of cultural silence, disbelief, and fear of more violence that surrounds rape.”
- Supporting a Survivor of Sexual Assault, UBUNTU* and Men Against Rape Culture (MARC)
*UBUNTU is a U.S. based movement “led by women of color and survivors of sexual assault, dedicated to creating a world without sexual violence”.
While sexual violence is often perpetrated by individuals against other individuals, it also exists on a societal level. It is a result of power imbalances that stem from gender inequality and other forms of systemic oppression. Systemic oppression is a series of barriers that disadvantage particular groups of people (based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ability, class, age, immigration status etc.) enforced through systems such as laws, institutions, and social norms.
Sexual violence is violence. Period. It is about entitlement, dominance, power, control and humiliation. The graphic below identifies a number of examples. Click on each icon to learn more about power and control.
After watching the Introduction Video, reading the page above, reflect on these questions and click on the notes button below to add your thoughts. These questions can help you explore your thinking.
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