A NEW movement to help rape survivors take control and feel more confident about speaking out is travelling across the UK in a bid to reduce alarming sexual assault statistics.
The initiative, led by non-profit organisation Enough, has been developed in response to calls from rape survivors for more options, particularly for those who are unable to go to the police.
The survivor-led community offers practical solutions to deter rapists and gives people more access to support.
Nearly half a million (490,336) people are raped each year, with women twice as likely to be raped as to be diagnosed with cancer.
Young people are particularly at risk, with figures showing full-time students are five times more likely to be raped than any other demographic group.
Enough will be visiting university cities to raise awareness of their work and hand out self-testing rape kits.
Enough will be visiting key cities, Reading, where volunteers including rape survivors will join Katie to explain how the rape kits work and talk about the Enough community.
It follows a similar successful initiative in Bristol, where 70% of students surveyed say they felt it had prevented rape on campus.
Katie White, co-founder of Enough, said: “Rape survivors often feel forced to stay silent, either through fear of not being believed or to protect their own safety.
“Currently, they feel their only two options are either going to the police or a Sexual Assault Referral Centre or keeping it to themselves.
“For those who choose the latter, this often means coping alone. Women are very rarely believed, even if there are mountains of evidence to suggest otherwise, and rape convictions are so low that it’s been all but decriminalised in the UK–we need radical change.”
She explained: “We need to look at real, practical solutions to help victims to report that protect and support all women who have been raped, not just those who feel capable of reporting it to the Police.
“Our self-testing kits offer an option for those who will never report, whether that’s because they worry about what a friend or family member will say, lack the confidence, or are concerned about their safety.
“It allows them to take control of the next steps and find support with a community of people who understand.
“We want people to know it’s ok to say out loud what’s happened to them and know that people will believe you.”
She concluded: “We need to make perpetrators think twice about what they’re doing.
“At the moment, the chance of getting caught is slim to none, but if self-testing kits become more commonplace, alongside sharing stories of the impact rape has, we hope we can drive the message home.”
The Enough event takes place in Reading on Thursday, February 26.
More information is available via: myenough.com
