Bold Moves to End Sexual Violence: Self-Defense and Self-Empowerment for Women Workers
Bold Moves to End Sexual Violence: Self-Defense and Self-Empowerment for Women Workers
Ms. is a proud media sponsor of the 2018 National Sexual Assault Conference, co-hosted by the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault, the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. This year’s NSAC theme is “Bold Moves: Ending Sexual Violence in One Generation.” Leading up to the event, we’ll be posting pieces by presenters and major speakers highlighting their plans to make those moves right here on the Ms. blog. Click the banner image above or this link for more Bold Moves posts.
Yo soy alguien. I am somebody.
At the first anti-sexual violence program designed by and for janitors who clean high rises and office buildings throughout California, 20 female janitors repeat the phrase and proudly proclaim that yes, they are somebody. Yes, they matter. For some, it is their first time considering this idea.
Workers at a “Justice for Janitors” march. (SEIU / Creative Commons)
Ya Basta! Coalition instructors empower women. Our classes are more about self-exploration and building self-confidence than they are about the physical defense of your person. For four hours, we carefully take women through a journey of healing and empowerment. This special investment of time and resources is critical because we find that most of the women who participate have never had the time or the space to think about their emotional wellbeing, their physical body and the pain they carry. The reality is that no one will denounce abuse at work if they don’t believe they aren’t worth more than the violent acts they absorb. The women we work with have all experienced different levels of abuse, and many have deeply internalized it to the point of acceptance. Often, they adopt the dominant paradigm and blame themselves for the rape, assault, harassment and bullying that they experienced. The shame is overwhelming. The fear of being shunned drives women to bury the pain as deep as they can in their soul.
Even the fiercest, most confident worker warriors who have led fights for better wages, healthcare and safe working conditions find it too uncomfortable to talk about sexual violence. To reach these strong and hurting women, we have to change their normal way of thinking. During class, we work to respectfully deconstruct the socialization we experience growing up in a Latino culture in countries that promote spoken and unspoken violence against women. We lovingly attempt to create space between the pain and shame they feel and the ideas at the root of those emotions. We talk about our shared culture and experiences immigrant women in the janitorial industry and build a community of trust.
Our hope is that they consider the perspective that none of the abuse of their person is their fault. There are monumental forces that indoctrinate women, even girls, to a submissive, marginalized role that strips us of our voice. Through meditation and affirmation, the women in our classes begin to realize that they don’t have to carry the burden around with them alone anymore. They have the power to free themselves and denounce their abusers. Their pathway to healing begins once they can consider it is not their fault.
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http://msmagazine.com/blog/2018/08/01/yo-soy-alguien/
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