Talking about sexual violence is one of the most challenging tasks any woman can undertake.

 

People often advise us to leave the past behind, yet there's no clear roadmap for achieving this. No one explains that to truly move forward, we must first understand, come to terms with, and, if necessary, mourn what happened. It's difficult to confront the impacts on our lives, how they shape our behavior and influence our decisions. Especially because many of us aren't aware of the extent to which our thoughts, actions, and feelings have been affected.

 

Many of us spend a long time believing we're alone in our reactions and feeling broken in some way. We may wonder if we're crazy for being unable to forget, or if we're simply damaged beyond repair.

 

Encountering other survivors, hearing their stories, can help us articulate our emotions, anger, and fears. Gradually, we can start piece together the collective narrative, revealing the profound trauma ingrained within us personally and as a society.

 

Being a victim of sexual violence is an experience that touches nearly every woman's life to some degree. It's inevitable in a society steeped in sexism. We've all faced situations that threatened our physical and/or mental integrity. This series serves as a way to confront our collective past trauma, while also shedding light on the stories of countless women. Women who have been silenced, oppressed, threatened, and violated. Women who have had to navigate through fear, shame, and guilt.

 

Unfortunately, this pain is not isolated to any one individual.