16 Days of Activism - Day 2

Sexual Violence in Our Communities


I am currently interning at the Sexual Assault & Violence Prevention Resource Center (SARC). In the past 3 months I have learned more about sexual and gender violence than I have ever noticed before. I began by reading various articles and reports on sexual violence specifically in communities of color. The international theme for 16 days of Activism Against Gender Violence is “Structure of Violence: Defining the Intersections of Militarism and Violence Against Women”. The phenomenon of the soaring rates of sexual violence particularly against Native women and Black women in the U.S. cannot be separated from the history of genocidal violence against both populations by white Europeans and Americans. The U.S. histories of conquest of indigenous peoples and chattel slavery of Africans both required extreme violence in all its forms including sexual violence perpetrated predominantly against women (i.e. rape as a weapon of war, rape as a tool for “breeding” slaves). Knowing this, I was not that surprised by my initial readings on sexual violence. The numbers were as I expected: women of color experienced higher instances of sexual violence than that of white women. I did not know, however, the magnitude in difference as well as the lack of services offered and low rates of reporting these crimes in communities of color. Black women are 35 times more likely to be domestically abused than white women. Forty percent of Black women report coercive sexual contact by the age of 18 (National Black women’s Health Project). I find this issue very disturbing not just in its blatant racial inequity but also that there is an extreme lack of education, awareness, and preventative efforts available to protect and empower women of color. As I presented some of this very information to the members of the Black Student Union at UCSD, the issue was brought up that most women of color and poor women only receive birth control and pregnancy tips in their sexual education. This embedded racism in our healthcare and education systems produces an environment which silences the plight of women of color who suffer from heightened sexual violence at the hands of men of color and white men. Language barriers, institutional and individual racism, and economic disenfranchisement all inhibit women from reporting sexual violence, seeking professional healthcare, and utilizing mental health services. In the U.S., the most invisible victims of sexual violence are Native women. Native women experience rape at a rate of 33%, that’s 1 in 3. Overall, 34% of Native women report rape in their lifetime. Because of the political disenfranchisement in place on reservations, there are often many restrictions that make it difficult to take legal action against perpetrators of sexual violence. There are constant contradictions and inconsistencies regarding tribal, state, and federal jurisdiction depending on the status of the victim, perpetrator, and the location of the sexual crime. A series of federal and state acts have limited the power of tribal authorities and court systems so that there is less ability to prosecute and punish serious crimes such as rape. Furthermore, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1978 in the Oliphant vs. Suquamish case that tribal courts have no jurisdiction over non-Indian U.S. citizens. This denies the rights to equal protection and due process for victims especially since 9 out of 10 Indian victims of sexual assault have  assailants that were non-Indians (Greenfiel et al ,1997). “Sexual violence against women is not only a criminal or social issue, it is a human rights abuse. All women have the right to be safe and free from violence and the authorities have a responsibility to ensure that women can enjoy that right” (Amnesty International USA 2007 report Maze of injustice: The failure to protect Indigenous women from sexual violence in the USA).  To combat these issues we must stop perpetuating this violence amongst ourselves as people of color. Our communities must begin to take the stance that sexual violence and violence against women are absolutely unacceptable. We must begin to have these difficult conversations about why these high rates occur and start offering more support and validation to victims. We must act together to create a safe community where everyone is respected and does not have to fear any form of violence. We must empower victims to locate services, report crimes, and to seek justice in order to break the cycle of silence that is created by structures that render our issues invisible.


If you are interested in learning more, receiving support services, or working with SARC please contact sarc@ucsd.edu or call 858-534-5793.


Allyssa Villanueva