As the allegations of sexual assault against Donald Trump rack up, the question of how often women face this horrible tragedy is being raised to a national level. One of the biggest questions these women accusing Trump are facing is why they chose to come out and tell their story now. The answer may seem simple: to keep Trump, an alleged rapist, from becoming president.
While that may be a driving factor at the moment, the question still remains: why didn’t these women come forward earlier, when the statute of limitations was in their favor and they could still prosecute Trump properly? The answer to this is much less obvious, and highly subjective to each victim’s experience. This goes for all victims of sexual assault, many of which are coming forward on Twitter to band together and raise awareness about such a sensitive topic.
The Enliven Project is a campaign that aims to aid and lift up women who have faced this tragedy, and since their inception they have been gathering information to visually demonstrate the reality of rape and how often it gets reported. The infographic below paints a terrifying picture of how frequently justice is served when a rape occurs.
While it’s difficult to look at an infographic and feel the emotion behind each victim’s decision to report or not, Twitter users eliminated the impersonal barrier by posting about their own experience and give their take on #WhyWomenDontReport. Take a look at the responses below.
Because I was 18 and I needed the summer job and he was the restaurant's manager #WhyWomenDontReport
— Jennifer Gunter (@DrJenGunter) October 13, 2016
Because no matter when you tell your story, they'll try to discredit you with: Why now?#WhyWomenDontReport
— Amy Siskind (@Amy_Siskind) October 14, 2016
Because he was my landlord. Because I was 21 and feared homelessness. Because my father told me to figure it out myself. #WhyWomenDontReport
— Niki Roberts (@LDYPrefers2Save) October 13, 2016
Because it was easier to pretend it didn't happen than to face the police, the courts and my perpertrator. #WhyWomenDontReport
— SOS_USA (@KattNasty) October 13, 2016
Because I was a new 24-y-o reporter w/$30k in college debt and he was the publisher. #WhyWomenDontReport
— Jackie Calmes (@jackiekcalmes) October 13, 2016
I watched enough SVU to know no one would believe me. I was 15 & scared. I knew cops were ppl who hurt Muslims like me. #WhyWomenDontReport
— Mahroh Jahangiri (@mahrohj) October 13, 2016
Because I was a medical student and he was the attending surgeon #WhyWomenDontReport
— Jennifer Gunter (@DrJenGunter) October 13, 2016
#WhyWomenDontReport Best case scenario, the next year of your life will be all about this traumatic event you desperately need to forget.
— Sandra Newman (@sannewman) October 13, 2016
Becuase people have zero clue what it's like for your brain and body to freeze completely. What the shame feesl like. #WhyWomenDontReport
— Rachel Thompson, Writer of Uncomfortable Truths (@RachelintheOC) October 13, 2016
Because a Presidential nominee can talk about sexually harassing a woman and half the country dismisses it as "banter." #WhyWomenDontReport
— Mark Pygas (@MarkPygas) October 13, 2016
Why were you there & drinking
What were you wearing
how many men have you slept w/
What did you think was going 2 happen#WhyWomenDontReport— Bougie Black Girl (@BougieBlackGurl) October 13, 2016
#WhyWomenDontReport
Because it was a family member and I didn't want to upset everyone in the family.— Kerri Lyn (@GoddessKerriLyn) October 13, 2016
Because reporting is like being assaulted all over again. #WhyWomenDontReport
— Brandon Cloud (@theclobra) October 13, 2016
It’s absolutely horrible that America’s justice system consistently allows for these women to feel victimized again as they are questioned and doubted, and that men are believed even less frequently than women that come forward. Though Twitter may just be a social media platform, its effectiveness at uniting people for a cause is what helps to raise awareness about these haunting issues.
What are your thoughts on the assault allegations Trump is facing? Please share, like, and comment on this article!
This article (Here Are The Heartbreaking Reasons #WhyWomenDontReport Sexual Assault) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to the author and TrueActivist.com
