Shout Out to a Survivor By Ejura Salihu

I should have written this a few weeks ago but circumstances delayed this article, I hope its not late to pay tribute to an icon of strength, the survivor we all know too well, Late Maya Angelou. I would not claim to be an avid reader of her poems and her works but I love all the ones I have read and I can't deny the sheer strength that oozes through each masterpiece. I feel a sense of pride reading her struggles and survival. Raped at a tender age of 8, she lost her voice for a while but when she found her voice and spoke, the world listened till the end of her life and we are all still listening. 

Not all victims of rape find their voice immediately, most need time to heal internally before speaking out. I use this medium to encourage all victims of abuse wherever they may be, please heal, take your time, but when your find your strength and voice, don't let it be bullied into silence. You deserve justice, you deserve to be heard. The culture of rape can only be broken if the culture of silence is broken.

Domestic Violence Short Film: Don't Ignore!

A short film advocating against domestic violence. When you are aware than someone is being abused, please don't keep quiet, you could be saving a life. Watch and enjoy!

Writer: Arome Ameh
Producer: Bamigbe Onasanya
Director: Soji Ogunnaike

Be an Advocate for Women. Women #SpeakOut!

 Violence against women in any form is a crime! Be it verbal or physical assault. The moment he insults you, calls you names, or makes you feel any less of yourself, That's "ABUSE". You're being emotionally beaten. No woman, no girl, no wife, no partner, no girlfriend should EVER, EVER put up with that. If you are a victim of these kinds of abuse, or if you know someone who is being abused, please speak to us. Send us an email: Standtoendrape@gmail.com.

Please spread the word.

Thank you!

Survivor: 'I wanted to end my life, now I have more to live for'

I don't know if I am writing right, but somewhere I could find the strength. There is no joy about being raped, it is the most traumatic thing anyone can experience. My body has been through so much.

I hope people really know that rape victims are going through a lot. While some people and organizations are working hard to stop the stigmatization on rape victims, some people are ready to keep the stigmatization going.

RAPE SURVIVORS, you have to brace yourself for the reaction you will get from people, you will lose friends, family, people will talk badly about you, they will stay away from. I experienced all these. Some people wish they have the courage to #SpeakOut, but are really scared of what people will say.

Spousal/Marital Rape: A Call for the Protection of Sexually Abused Women by Benita Esuma

The increase in rape and sexual abuse cases is alarming.It is not peculiar to any culture, sect or race; rather it isa global problem, more like a disease that has plaguedour communities. This menace needs to be nipped in the bud and eventually eradicated. This crime that has ravaged different societies for a long time and still is. Our young men rape and gang rape women, young ladies and now our underage girls. I wonder if it is a need for sexual gratification or the need to be in control.Is there really any justification for rape? The answer is NO!

Rape is a barbaric act perpetrated by individuals who lack self-control, are rejected by women or arepsychotic. Simply put, rape is the unlawful compelling of a person by physical force, coercion or duress to have sexual intercourse without the person’s consent. It could also occur by obtaining consent fraudulently, by getting the victim drunk or drugged.

Straight from Habiba's Heart

We have been running various inspiring words from our inspiring and brave survivor Habiba Olawale (check HERE). This is another for y'all. Please listen to rape survivors when they need someone to talk to, hug them if they require it. Such acts might seem little but they go a long way in helping them heal. Read more...

It's not normal!

Do you have those conversations with you friends/family who in trying to say the right thing just say the wrong thing. I had a conversation today with one of them after a really tough therapy session and I was explaining how I was feeling, now it's actually not that often that I speak to them about it anymore, I just don't bother and just keep everything for my therapist and today I was reminded why!

Talk to Us!

If you have been a victim of rape, date rape, sexual abuse, incest, sexual assault,marital rape, childhood sexual abuse, or molestation please know that you did nothing wrong and you are not to blame. In our online support forums you can share your story, feelings, fears, doubts, and receive support from fellow survivors who are experiencing similar emotions. Here you may speak freely without identifying yourself. At times the path to healing may seem an arduous and somewhat frightening one, but you don't have to go through it alone. By joining After Silence you become part of a community that understands your struggles. We are here to support, listen, and heal together. Follow us on twitter –– @AyodejiOsowobi or for further detail visit http://ayodejiosowobi.blogspot.com or betterstill, send an email to –– Ayodejiosowobi@gmail.com.

A Girl Molested at a Tender Age Takes To Twitter & Lays it All Out

                                                  

To have been raped is enough pain, but worst of all is to be raped by someone you love -- father, brother or even neighbour. This rape survivors takes to twitter to share her experience of being sexually molested at a tender age. Some people have said this is fake, but we thought to share it with you. Will someone go all out just to fake this? Let us know what you think. See more tweets after the cut...

How I was Raped by a Woman -- A Man Tells His Story

  

This isn't a typical rape story as you are used to. This is rare but it doesn't remove the fact that it does exist. A man has narrated how he was a rape victim. Read more after the cut

I’m not your usual victim, nor was my attacker your usual rapist. I’m one of the 9% of people who get raped who are male. And one of the 1% who was raped by a woman. I was in my early 20s, and talking online to a woman on the internet. We kind of hit it off. I decided to do cross country vacation, and she suggested I stop by, spend a few days to a week at her school, that I could ‘crash’ in her apartment before resuming my trip. That sounded ok, so when the time came, I packed up and started my road trip. In time, I was near her town, so I drove on in, gave her a phone call to get directions on just where in town her apartment was, and drove on over. 

Rape: The Victim, Society & Breaking the Silence.

One day at lunch, a group of four young men seated by me were having a discussion about a rape video. They chatted so loudly about it I had no problem tuning my ears for better reception. Any ways, even though they had no knowledge of the perpetrator and victim, they spoke as if they did. All except one agreed that the lady deserved what she got and was to be blamed. The lady represented a case study related to their own experiences.

I listened as they bragged about their rape escapades giving counts of the number of girls they'd raped as proofs. Some were hailed for ‘doing’ more than the others. To them, rape is an act of dominance and gaining control over difficult unwilling girls ––  it's used punish and degrade them.

A Survivor #SpeaksOut: I was Raped By 7 Men in #Nigeria

We have been asking that people share their survival stories with us (check HERE), some people have reached out and we hope their stories will isnpire you. Habiba is one of those. Read more...

I never thought that I would do this. I mean I don't like talking about this. I guess you might want to hear the story first. Of course, afterwards you'll know why I feel this way. Thank you @AyodejiOsowobi for letting me tell my story.

Hello, I am Habiba, I am not really sure how I should start. It has taken me a long time to convince myself to tell someone my story. I am doing this because I believe it will help anyone who has gone through something similar to accept that it was not their fault and help them move on. Well, this is the story of a rape survivor.

The incident: 

It happened when I was 13. I was walking home from a friend's house after a tutorial class and suddenly, a car pulled up beside me. Four guys about college age or older jumped out of the car and pulled me in. While in the car, they punched me in the face and choked me with one of their belts.