Women share stories of sexual violence

As it was revealed that six women in Northern Ireland have been murdered since 2015 despite previously reporting their violent partners to the police, a new online initiative is encouraging women here who are living with the daily anguish of sexual violence to share their stories.
By Helen McGurk
Published 26th Nov 2020, 14:38 BST
Local women are being encouraged to share their experiences of sexual violenceLocal women are being encouraged to share their experiences of sexual violence
Local women are being encouraged to share their experiences of sexual violence

‘Share Your Story’ is a series of anonymous accounts of physical and sexual harassment that are being made available on the Raise Your Voice website.

The stories include harrowing details of women being assaulted and groped by strangers while on a night out or in their own homes by a family friend.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

One account will be shared every other day as part of the United Nations 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence with the hope that more women will have the confidence to come forward and tell their stories.

The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign that began on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until December 10, Human Rights Day.

One of two pieces uploaded this week tells of a young woman coming home from work and being sexually assaulted by a male friend of her housemate who had been drinking.

She would like to tell her abuser: “I will never be the same woman that I was before that happened... I find it frustrating that you probably never give what you did a second thought whereas I think about it every day. I hate you. One day I hope that I won’t hate you and I’ll have closure and you won’t cross my mind. And most of all I hope you haven’t done that to anyone else. I carry that with me every day.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Karen Sweeney who represents the Women’s Support Network on the Raise Your Voice project said: “Our aim is to give women a voice to tell their stories and help end the pandemic of sexual and physical violence. We would like to thank those brave women who have come forward to share their experiences for showing others that they are not alone.”

Domestic incidents and crimes in Northern Ireland were running at 15 year highs before the lockdown, with 50 domestic crimes a day.

A new bill to strengthen NI’s domestic abuse legislation is currently being considered by the assembly.

To view the Share Your Story initiative go to: www.raiseyourvoice.community/yourstories and click on Your Stories.

Related topics:Northern Ireland

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.