Ukrainian women shared stories about being groped on public transport or at parties, pressed against the walls of elevators, followed along dark streets, molested and raped. Together, the hundreds of stories are an unprecedented chronicle of sexual harassment and violence, told by survivors.
But the campaign, called “I’m not afraid to say it,” revealed even more than it aimed to, because some of the reactions were almost as alarming as the stories themselves.
While many praised the women’s bravery and said they were shocked that sexual assaults are so common, others criticized or even mocked the victims.
They wrote that the sexual harassment and assaults were caused by the way the victims dress, look and behave. Dress modestly, don’t walk alone at night, don’t flirt and you will be fine, was the message.
This flies in the face of the fact that the assaults are often committed in the middle of the day, in public places, and sometimes to young children who don’t even know what sex is.
Some blamed the women for manipulation: “She says ‘no,’ you stop, and then she resents you for having stopped.” Some even hinted that women secretly enjoy rape. Others said that such stories don’t belong on Facebook.
It paints an alarming picture of how Ukrainian society sees sexual assault. Fortunately, we have an example to follow. The West has been fighting similar attitudes for many years, and has seen some success: Victim-shaming has become much less acceptable.
Ukraine needs to go the same way, and an open public discussion is a great first step.
