Sexual assault is a widespread problem and happens far too often across ages, genders and cultures.  Over half of women have experienced sexual violence in her lifetime according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And 1 in 3 women globally have experienced sexual assault, the World Health Organization reports. While women and teen girls are most at risk – 9 out of every 10 rape victims are female – men and boys, and people of all genders, are sexually assaulted. But we know this is not inevitable. Healthcare providers, employers and advocates can adopt effective strategies ..read more

Women’s History Month is a time to celebrate and uplift the many women who have blazed a trail for us and fought for equality. It’s also a time to recommit to demanding more for women everywhere- more opportunity, more political power and more seats at the table where decisions are made. As the new Vice President of Economic Security & Justice with FUTURES, I don’t want this month to end without calling attention to the way women’s economic mobility is so intertwined with women’s equality and the work I do around preventing and responding to gender-based violence and harassment in the worl ..read more

Mckenzie Fedyshyn Although for this month’s mission we are supposed to decide what change needs to be done in our schools, I have already started the process of change in my school. Although I have already done something like this/ doing this currently, I will share my story anyway: When I was in eleventh grade, I decided that sexual harassment was happening way too often in my school.I thought that more needed to be done. So I emailed my assistant principal and told him my thoughts. I started meeting with him weekly, to further brainstorm on what I could do. That was almost two years ago. I h ..read more

These apps are ones I have used or found in the Apple App Store that promote healthy relationships. Descriptions are pulled from the apps’ descriptions given in the app store. Couple – Relationship App for Two (Free in IOS App Store) This app is a private experience between just the two in the couple. There are no profiles for others to see, just an app for you and your significant other. Perfect for long distance couples or any couple that wants a private, more intimate experience than social media or texting. The app allows you to send videos, voice messages, photos, and real-time messaging ..read more

Story by That’s Not Cool ambassadors Stephanie, Marie and Kiara. “We are spreading the word to as many people as we can on the topic to get others involved to try to reach those who happen to have been in an abusive relationship. Check out our Instagram project @acehosa!”    “Our HOSA (Health Occupation Student of America) Project is on Teen Dating Abuse and we are using Instagram to spread awareness about what can happen in an abusive relationship as well as the different types of abuse. We are spreading the word to as many people as we can on the topic to get others ..read more

“This project by ambassadors Justine & Chelsea is still continuing and it has such a strong message. Everyone can relate to someone in Just Kidding, Just Fine and Other Lies.” Just Kidding, Just Fine and Other Lies is a 74 minute movie that was written by students, filmed by North Metro Television and supported by the Anoka Country Domestic and Sexual Violence Coalition. The students’ goal is for the film to be used in community awareness, education and action initiatives. The topics addressed by the film include bullying, cyberbullying, an ..read more

Story by LINN B HELLERSTROM Story by Emily Levenson. “BHS Stop Harassing is a student-led organization with parent advisors, working to end sexual harassment and violence in the Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) and more specifically, Berkeley High School (BHS). The group formed in Fall of 2014, after a school administrator implied to over 3,000 students that girls’ clothing choices were directly connected to sexual harassment. A few students got together in my living room soon after to compare notes on the assembly, and we realized that we had a much larger problem on our hands tha ..read more

Bukky is a high school student in Idaho and a youth activist and organizer at the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence, a prevention organization that engages communities and youth to understand the intersections between all oppression. My name is Bukky, I am 16 years old and I go to school in rural Idaho. I am a part of my school’s Speech and Debate program and play Varsity basketball and volleyball. I live with my parents, my older brother and my younger sister. Both of my parents have professional degrees and work in the medical field. As it shows, I have the All-American l ..read more

Story by Kuei   My people are from the world’s newest nation of South Sudan and we carry our culture everywhere we go. I love and embrace my culture because that is what I grew up to do and I feel like it has made me the person I am today. I was born in Cairo, Egypt but my family was born and grew up in South Sudan. Even though I love my people, I think some of their values are oppressive. For example, that a woman’s goals and dreams should revolve around her being a wife and a mother and that they should obey the men in their lives, or that it is a man’s job to get at least one wife, hav ..read more

Story by Youth Council Advisory Council member Abigail Miranda   What is Machismo? Machismo is a predominant “traditional” belief in Latinx communities that women are inferior to men. Machismo takes forms in various ways and often is culturally ingrained within Latinx communities. Machismo within our Latinx communities is most commonly presented in sets of heavily enforced gender norms and expectations. Often coming from “La mujer tiene que atender su hombre, porque es la mujer” (“The woman has to attend her man because she is the woman”) to “No seas lloron! Sos hombre!” (“Don’t be a cryb ..read more