We at Her Campus are always looking for ways to help women’s rights and this week’s Campus Celebrity is helping to do just that by organising the ‘Reclaim the Night’ March with the Devon Rape Crisis Service.
Name: Elena Dimitriou
How did you become involved in the Devon Rape Crisis Service?
I started volunteering for the Devon Rape Crisis Service in 2012. I have always been passionate about violence against women and I wanted to do something to help women around me, who are suffering in silence. I found out about the Devon Rape Crisis Service and feel very lucky to have been accepted as a volunteer. I can’t exaggerate how much volunteering for the Devon Rape Crisis Service has helped me feel like I’m actively making a difference, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to help victims of sexual violence.
What does the Service do?
Devon Rape Crisis Service is a voluntary organisation run by women, which supports women who have experienced rape and/or sexual violence at any time in their lives. We provide many different types of support:
1) Helpline support: a confidential helpline for women aged 18years and above, as well as for male and female partners, family and friends.2) Face to face: free, confidential, one to one support from a trained volunteer at a time suitable for the woman, including an outreach service in selected parts of the county.
3) Email support: any woman who has been affected by sexual violence, now or in the past can contact us through our anonymous email support service4) Group support: According to demand and where required.
We also organise campaigns to raise awareness across the county, such as Reclaim the Night and take part in Exeter Respect Festival and International Women’s day.
Devon Rape Crisis website: http://www.devonrapecrisis.org.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Devon-RCS/225919047461856
Twitter: https://twitter.com/devonrapecrisis
What are you hoping to achieve with the March?
Through the Reclaim the Night March we aim to send a powerful message against the violence and fear which is experienced by women on our streets. 95% of women report that they don’t feel safe on the streets at night*. We want to raise awareness about this issue, and give women one night when they get to reclaim their streets and walk safely, without fear, in solidarity.
What can girls in Exeter do to help and protect themselves?
Even though advice about keeping yourself safe on the street can occasionally be useful, it’s often quite problematic, as it perpetuates victim blaming and myths about rape. When we tell women to avoid going out on their own, talking to strangers, dressing in a certain way, getting drunk etc., we help create the illusion that if you follow this advice, you are safe. It’s dangerous to teach women that if you avoid certain streets or walking alone at certain times of the day, this will guarantee that they are safe, because it’s simply not true; perpetrators of harassment and violence do not always have a particular look, they don’t always wait around in dark alleys, they don’t only go out when it’s dark, and they are not always a stranger – in fact, only 8% of rapes are perpetrated by strangers.**
Unfortunately, with street harassment and violence there are no quick solutions, because they are so widespread and accepted that it will take time for our views to change, and for all of us to start acknowledging how harmful and problematic they are. So what can we do? Harassment is so pervasive, that it’s almost impossible to avoid it as a victim. It is however, completely, 100% possible to avoid it as a perpetrator. It’s time to shift out focus away from the victim and towards the perpetrator. If you see friend of yours harassing someone, don’t be a silent bystander. Challenge your friend about their behaviour, instead of challenging the victim for what they were wearing. If you see someone in a club groping somebody against their will, report them to the club security guards. I urge everyone to challenge and report harassment whenever you see it. Please don’t be silent as a bystander, or as a victim. Through challenging and reporting harassment, and having a zero tolerance policy towards it, I believe that we can start to change our society’s views about this issue, and eventually help decrease harassment and create a safer environment for girls and women.
If you view or experience harassment on campus, please follow the University’s procedures for reporting such incidents (http://www.exeter.ac.uk/staff/equality/dignity/harrassment/), and if you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, please reach out to the Devon Rape Crisis Service, a service committed to helping you and giving you a safe space to talk.
*Information taken from http://www.reclaimthenight.co.uk/why.html
** Information taken from (http://www.devonrapecrisis.org.uk/rape-statistics