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Lately I’ve Been Thinking About: Accountability in the Wake of Chavez
As we bid Women’s History Month goodbye, I keep thinking about accountability. Specifically around the harm to women and what we can do to shift the burden. I’ve been thinking about this both in the aftermath of the Chavez revelations; the fact that a 96 year old woman is still expected to be a perfect victim; and closer to home, the astronomical DV homicide rates here in Chicago, the majority happen in the south and west sides, where domestic fatal shootings increased by 50%, all while City leaders celebrate a decrease in violence. When we discuss intimate partner violence/gender-based violence in general, most of the conversation centers around what’s needed–the…
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Support Starts with You: Sexual Assault Awareness Month
As April is coming to close, I wanted to take a moment to recognize that it’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month. It’s a topic that is close to home because, as I’ve grown in my practice, my main type of work has been with advocating and representing survivors of sex assault; the majority being Latinas. Unfortunately, the stats are really dismal for our community in regards to sexual violence against both men and women. And so, it’s a sad truth that many of us have examples of experiences where we have either been victims of sexual violence or have come damn near close to being victimized. When I think of…