Did you know that one in four girls is sexually abused before age 18? That’s an estimated 42 million women in the United States. Violence against women remains largely unreported due to the impunity, silence, stigma, and shame surrounding it. The majority of survivors keep the abuse a secret for many years, and most don’t talk about the abuse until adulthood. As survivors carry the weight of their abuse, they often struggle with depression, anxiety, eating disorders, suicidal thoughts, insomnia, panic attacks, addiction, learning difficulties, chronic pain, and unhealthy relationships.
This episode features highlights from a February 2021 Women’s Leadership Forum with Dr. Susan Madsen, Founding Director of the Utah Women & Leadership Project; Liliana Olvera-Arbon, Executive Director of the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault; Chris Yadon, Executive Director of the Younique Foundation; Dr. Annie Isabel Fukushima, Assistant Professor in the Ethnic Studies Division in the School for Cultural and Social Transformation at the University of Utah; and Jennifer Campbell, Executive Director of South Valley Services.
The panelists present research and data as they discuss the realities of violence against girls and women in Utah. Learn how you can support survivors and how you can do your part to protect girls and women from violence and abuse.
*This episode was recorded on February 17, 2021.