Sexual assault awareness month : a not so short story

In a small village, there was a young woman named Malak. She had always been confident and independent, she loved to go out and enjoy her village. But one dark night in April, while walking home from a friend's house, a man grabbed her and dragged her into an alleyway. He assaulted her and left her traumatized and feeling helpless.

Why we are telling this story?

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about sexual assault and to provide support to survivors. Sexual assault is a pervasive issue that affects people of all genders, ages, races, and backgrounds. It is estimated that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men will experience some form of sexual assault in their lifetime, and these statistics are likely an underestimate due to underreporting.

What do you think happened to Malak after the accident?

Malak was devastated and felt like she had nowhere to turn, struggled to come to terms with what had happened to her. She felt ashamed and blamed herself for what had happened. She didn't know where to go or who to talk to about her experience.

Unfortunately, sexual assault is a widespread problem, and what happened to Malak is called survivor's guilt is a common and complex emotion experienced by many survivors of sexual assault It's a feeling of guilt or shame that can arise after the assault, even when the survivor did nothing wrong. It's important to understand that survivor's guilt is a normal response to trauma, and that it doesn't mean that the survivor is responsible for what happened to them.

Do you think Malak had the help she needed to overcome this feeling?

A few weeks later, she saw an Instagram post about “SAAM” this post was from a local organization that provides support for survivors of sexual assault. She decided to reach out to them she texted them after days of overthinking and going back and forth and then she found comfort in their resources and community to and met other women who had also experienced similar and varies sexual assaults.

One way to help herself from the sexual assault was finding a community. As seen in the story above, Malak found this organization that help many other survivors like her by providing survivors with a safe space to share their experiences and receive support. It also helps to raise awareness about the issue and to encourage people to take action to prevent sexual assault.

It's also important to recognize that sexual assault affects everyone differently. Some survivors may want to speak out and share their stories, while others may prefer to keep their experiences private. Whatever the case may be, it's crucial to respect survivors' boundaries and to provide them with the support they need.

The types of sexual assaults are so many some of them are (Rape -Sexual coercion– physical assault as what happened to Malak in the story and child abuse with all its type mainly Female Genital mutilation )

After visiting the organization what do you think happened to Malak?

Through counseling, support groups, and advocacy, Malak was able to start healing from her experience. She also became an advocate for sexual assault awareness, sharing her story and spreading the message that survivors are not alone and that they deserve support and justice helped her a lot to go out and feel the wind of freedom again through attending workshops on how to support survivors and self-defense classes to empower women to protect themselves.

One of the most important aspects of this month is to empower survivors to speak out and seek help and this is exactly what Malak did. Another important aspect of Sexual Assault Awareness Month is education. By educating people about the signs of sexual assault and how to prevent it, we can work towards creating a culture that prioritizes consent and respect. This includes teaching young people about healthy relationships, boundaries, and communication skills.

Malak became an Advocate which is something really great so let’s see what she did to help

Malak educated herself and Others and made a lot of successful events and workshops about consent, healthy relationships, and sexual violence, she is now part of the organization that help other survivors, she made a powerful campaign about how to intervene when you see someone at risk of experiencing sexual violence and she is also advocating for Systemic Chang, Malak felt proud of the impact she had made and the support she had received from the community. Sexual Assault Awareness Month had given her the platform to share her story and help others.

Malak's story is just one example of the many survivors of sexual assault who face trauma and stigma. However, it also highlights the importance of raising awareness and providing support for survivors of sexual assault. As we continue to raise awareness about sexual assault, it's important to remember that this is not just a problem for one month out of the year. We must work towards creating a culture where sexual assault is not tolerated and where survivors are believed and supported. By coming together as a community, we can make a difference in preventing sexual assault and supporting those affected by it