“This past month marks a watershed moment, when survivors of sexual violence and harassment have come forward using social media and the hashtag #MeToo to create a community of courage, encouragement, and belief. This moment is not an ‘upswing’ in reporting of sexual violence; it is the result of survivors who have continued to bravely tell their stories and who have together exposed patterns and a culture of violence and harassment…Today, NCCASA, along with rape crisis centers and partners across NC, are standing up to say that sexual violence and harassment no longer needs to be the cost that women and people from marginalized communities face for going to work or walking down the street. We resist the narrative that sexual violence is something new or something that will end with a few people getting fired. We commit to building a world without violence by challenging the systems and social conditions that enable sexual violence to exist, and we invite you to join us in that work.”
Read NCCASA’s full statement here.
For talking points for how to talk about sexual violence in this moment, see NCCASA’s #MeToo talking points.