Perspectives on survivor speech

I think sharing experiences is also important because most of us really don’t know what to do.

It does say that we need to submit it online, and that makes me feel like it would be nice to have people reaching out to you, rather than it being in an online forum.…

What I would suggest is, being new in North America, it’s easier for us to open up about this here rather than in our own country, if you’re coming from our cultural background. So, I…

Facilitator: Yeah, cause like, in Africa, if it happens, then it was your fault. Most times in Africa, they tell you [the person] raped you because, “I told you not to wear that short skirt.”…

We need to raise more awareness about problems like these, because I think in our culture, more than western culture, this type of stuff is slept upon. It’s not talked about enough, or it’s even…

In our culture, sexual assault is considered one of the taboo subjects. It is never talked about. Victims have to suffer through [it] alone, in silence, which makes it much harder. So, I think it…

A question I would have with the policy is the question of anonymity? ‘Cause, you know, like, another participant mentioned, she had a friend that eventually had to take back her complaint, or whatever, ’cause…

If [a friend disclosed sexual assault] I just think that you would have to understand the sensitivity that the situation entails […] and also understand whether or how proveable it is. Because, so many times,…

Culturally, we are very different in the sense that openness in terms of how much we talk about sexual contact or even sex in general – it is such a hush-hush topic. […] The first…

To be honest, from where I come from, I don’t think sex is that much of a taboo. I have talked about it, we have spoken about it, asked questions over and over again, we…