August 25: Blogging Day Against Sexual Violence

Against Sexual Violence

Every day, a woman somewhere is subjected to some kind of sexual violence. She is harassed, or worse, abused and assaulted. She could be you, your sister, your relative, your teacher, your coworker, your best friend… She could be anyone you know. She could also be a stranger you see on the street.

We live in a patriarchal society, where men’s honor remains tied to women and their bodies. In Lebanon, there are no laws against sexual harassment. What’s worse is that our archaic and discriminatory penal code still stipulates that a rapist can be exonerated from his crime if he marries the woman he raped (Article 522).

With almost every case of sexual harassment or assault that comes into the public eye, we’ve noticed a tradition of victim-blaming, a pattern of justifying these assaults. This is why we’re reaching out to you.

We’re a group of concerned women who have come together to organize a day of writing and blogging in traditional and alternative media (print newspapers, e-zines, blogs, electronic newspapers, social media, etc.) to take back the discourse around sexual violence. That day will be August 25, 2016.

Look at what she’s wearing!

She brought it on herself…

She smiled at him…

She’s not a virgin. So she couldn’t have been raped.

How could she say no to him?

She’s always going around talking to boys.

She should be flattered because I looked at her that way.

What? It’s a compliment.

He’s a successful and respected man. He couldn’t have done this.

What You Can Do

On August 25, we invite you to share your stories and ideas around the issues of sexual violence, such as sexual assault, rape, and sexual abuse. We invite you to use the power of your words, images, illustrations, or videos by sharing your posts as we speak out against this type of violence against women. Feel free to blog in any language you prefer.

Topics You Can Blog About

  • Sexual violence in the workplace, public space or private space
  • How gender plays a role in sexual violence
  • Sexual violence in times of peace and conflict
  • Masculinity and the role it can play in rape culture
  • Media’s coverage of sexual violence
  • Psychological effects of sexual violence
  • Any other topic you can think of

How to Join this Blogging Day

You can take part in this day of action by adding your blog details through this form and joining this wide conversation on August 25, 2016.

Photo:  Protesters at a march calling for the adoption of a law criminalizing family violence. Credit: Joelle Hatem 

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1 Response

  1. August 28, 2016

    […] contributed this illustration to the Socialist Forum’s ezine, Al-Manshour, on the occasion of Blogging Day against Sexual Violence on August 25, […]

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