New flash mob on social networks: Ukrainian women talk about their experiences of sexual harassment
In the Ukrainian segment of the social network Facebook, a flash mob with the hashtag #I'm Not Afraid to Say is gaining momentum.
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The essence of the action is that women from different parts of the country write about how they were embarrassed to talk about violence against themselves - for years and even decades they kept stories of sexual harassment, rape, beatings and moral pressure within themselves.
"I am 13 years old. I walk along Khreshchatyk, carrying home a bag of groceries in each hand. I walk the section from KSCA to TSUM. Soon my home. Suddenly, the guy who was walking towards me abruptly changes his trajectory and, as he accelerates, grabs me between my legs. He grabs me so hard that he lifts me up on his arm. I'm so shocked that I just don't know how to react. The guy lets me go and calmly moves on,” admits journalist and traveler Anastasia Melnichenko.
“I’m 8. I’m coming home from school and calling the elevator. At the last moment, a boy, probably 25 years old, jumps into the elevator. Under the pretext of some imaginary inspection that would take place at school, he takes me in an elevator to the top floor of the building where we lived, and then drags me to the attic and rapes me there. After that, my whole life happened to me,” downshifter Yulia Fedorovich is not afraid to admit.
However, experts consider the popular flash mob insufficient to restore the mental health of women who have experienced violence.
“In fact, there are more such stories than are written on social networks or simply told to each other. If women who have experienced violence feel better by writing their stories online, then there is nothing wrong with that. It's always good to let go of guilt and fear. At the same time, posts alone are not enough for psychological rehabilitation,” commented Kiev psychologist-consultant Alexey Vasilyev.
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