Sexual Assault Remains Unchecked Globally and Feminism is Back on the Rise.

Last month the world got a wake up call. Sarah Everard’s devastating death initiated a global surge in feminist activism and calls for the enactment of legislation protecting women from violence and sexual assault. As Sexual Assault Awareness Month comes to an end, we felt it was necessary to highlight some of the content of this progressive, modern-day feminist movement, in addition to providing reminders of the work done by heroic women of the past.

Western feminist movements have been largely influential globally, and in many cases helped to trigger the same discourse in many other regions around the world, including the Middle East. One of the most memorable of these was the 19th century Women’s Suffrage movement, in which Suffragettes famously engaged in civil disobedience, chanting “deeds not words”, in an attempt to pressure the government to enfranchise women after years of having been offered several empty promises.

Second-wave feminism of the late 20th century also parallels the current wave this generation is now pioneering; a heavy emphasis was placed on the safety of women, with organisations such as Take Back the Night arranging marches, rallies, and vigils throughout many different countries against the unhindered spread of domestic, sexual, and relationship violence.

The current rise of feminism is owed in part to the circulation of several new research documents and statistics regarding violence against women, serving as a reminder that while society may enjoy priding itself on the progress it has made, there is still work to be done before we can claim equality of the genders. The WHO recently found that globally, 1 in 3 women will experience physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner or sexual violence from a non-partner, with a good fraction of the abuse starting as early as the age of 15. Shockingly, this statistic has not changed for the past decade. Additionally, the statistic that has been most prominent on social media is one that came from an investigation done by UN Women UK, stating that an alarming 97% of women aged 18-24 in the UK have been sexually harassed.

The activism doesn’t end online however; with social media allowing more attention to be given to victims of sexual violence, many resulting protests have transpired in recent months. From Australia to the UK to the USA, what some have dubbed the fifth wave of feminism is materialising rapidly, and I urge all to contribute what they can. Whether it be supporting a local feminist organisation, or having conversations about women’s safety with the people around you, we can all assist in creating a world where women can feel safe walking down the street at night.

Rose Salib 12F