By Vanessa Cort

SEXUAL Assault Awareness Month came to a close with many not even aware that it was being celebrated last April. However, the topic was back in the news after a 2020 rape conviction against movie mogul, Harvey Weinstein, was overturned in a New York court last month.

In a scandal that rocked the entertainments world, several women accused Weinstein of sexual harassment. He was subsequently convicted of another rape in February last year in a Los Angeles court and sentenced to16 years in prison. He remains in custody.

The reversal of Weinstein’s conviction by the court in Manhattan, the possibility of a retrial and the outcry by his accusers, all serve to show the need for women to be informed about sexual harassment and the steps they should take if it occurs.

For, as the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) says, “It’s impossible to prevent an issue no one knows about, and it’s difficult to make people aware of a problem without providing a solution”.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), coordinated by the NSVRC over two decades ago, is rooted in the civil rights period dating back to the 1940s and 50s, when people began to give voice to the need for social change. Activists like African-American, Rosa Parks and other women of colour looked at both race-based and gender-based violence, becoming champions of these causes.
Since then, the issue of sexual violence, particularly against women, has gained the kind of attention that resulted in changes in legislation as survivors mobilised and advocacy grew among all who were concerned about making the world a better place.

Most recently, sexual violence and harassment have become ‘hot’ global issues, with the growth of the ‘Me too’ Movement, which has given impetus to women reporting abuse and seeking legal action against their abusers.

Allegations of sexual harassment in the movie industry, which, for so long, went unnoticed and unreported, have led to famous figures like Weinstein losing their jobs, being prosecuted and actually facing jail time for their actions.

Women, who, for so many years, remained silent, have begun to come forward in numbers and name those who have been guilty of sexually harassing them at their places of work. They also accused some in authority of “muzzling” them by using scare tactics such as job loss or even physical violence.

Last month’s SAAM theme, “Journey to Healing – Shattering the Stigma,” was aimed at helping survivors recuperate and end victim-blaming as well as continuing to raise awareness about those services available to victims.

Though it began in the US, the SAAM initiative is one which should be adopted by countries around the world, enabling the sharing of information on prevention methods and increasing solidarity with survivors.

Individuals can access information on sexual assault online at any time, for awareness is not confined to one month, but is a constant cause for concern as attacks against women increase and women still remain fearful of the repercussions of speaking out.

In Guyana, a toll-free 914 hotline number provides telephone services to victims/survivors of sexual offences. It is manned 24 hours each day by counselors and volunteers. There is also a 24-hour crisis hotline on telephone number 603-3666.