BURDEN OF SILENCE

One in three Native American women will experience sexual abuse at some point in their lifetime. That is more than twice the national average. And for the women of Alaska, the US state with the highest incidence of rape, the situation is particularly bleak.

Donna Erikson is a Native Alaskan woman and a survivor of sexual abuse. She, and those who share this devastating history, are now embracing the transformative power of lifting the burden of silence within their community by speaking out about sexual assault. 

India’s burgeoning economy has a dark side: Cities across the country are struggling with rising cases of rape and sexual harassment.While growing numbers of women have joined the workforce, many are also being attacked by men used to a traditional patriarchal environment, breeding resentment and violence.

In New Delhi, commonly described as the "rape capital" of the country, women and men alike are fighting back in creative ways. A new emergency task force, a special women’s taxi service and even an anti-rape smartphone app have been created to tackle the rape crisis.

Cairo, Egypt - Nearly a year and a half after Lara Logan was sexually assaulted by a mob of men in Tahrir Square, women have increasingly been coming forward with disturbing personal testimonies of similar attacks.

Natasha Smith, a British journalism student who was in Cairo on a research internship, recently lit up the social media sphere with a detailed blog account of an attack she suffered in Tahrir.

The posting recounts how a horde of men encircled and quickly overpowered Smith, who was accompanied by two male friends, on the outskirts of the Square on June 24."Hundreds of men pulled my limbs apart and threw me around. They were scratching and clenching my breasts and forcing their fingers inside me in every possible way," she wrote. "Although a few men tried to form a human shield around me, offering me rags to cover my bruised body, men were still able to touch me. There were just too many."

NIMEPITIA HIZI NEWS AL JAZEERA ZIKANIFANYA NIJIULIZE HIVI KWANI MWANAMKE KAUMBWA AWE TU ABUSED? KWANINI KILA CORNER YA DUNIA WANAWAKE WANATESEKA NA ABUSE HIVI? SIO TU KWA MATENDO ILA PIA HATA KWA MANENO. NI WANGAPI TUMESHAPITA BARABARANI TENA SIO UNATEMBEA ILA HUMO KWENYE GARI HALAFU UNARUSHIWA LI NENO LA AJABU, AU UNAKONYEZWA OVYO? UWE UMEVAA KIHESHIMA AU SIO, LAZIMA UTACHOKOZWA TU. mmmmh!