It’s been two years since Alyssa Milano’s #MeToo tweet helped bring light to a movement and call for solidarity trumpeted first by Tarana Burke and the Me Too Movement. In a recent TIME op-ed, Tarana reflected on the importance of accountability in the upcoming 2020 elections and urged all the presidential candidates to address sexual violence in their platforms. Survivors of sexual harassment, misconduct and abuse have long been silenced in their communities, companies, and institutions, but we can’t forget that their votes and voices matter.
Candidates need to champion a comprehensive policy platform for addressing sexual harassment, misconduct, and abuse to create real and lasting change for survivors. What do these policies look like? Below are some key highlights that RALIANCE recently published in Guide for Political Parties and 2020 Candidates: A Policy Platform to End Sexual Violence in One Generation.
Bipartisan reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act including increased investments in prevention, enhanced protections for Native women, strengthened housing provisions, homicide reduction tools, and improved criminal justice approaches.
Resources to meet victims’ most basic needs. It’s critical that Congress fund the Sexual Assault Services Program at the Office on Violence Against Women at $60 million and the Rape Prevention & Education Program at the CDC Injury Center at $100 million.
Stronger workplace harassment protections and accountability.
“We, as survivors, aren’t just people looking for services. We are a constituency looking for change. We are working people, taxpayers and consumers who push through our trauma every day, despite being triggered and erased by a world that tells us our healing isn’t important. It’s been only two years since the movement began to shed light on the behavior of wealthy and powerful predators, but we’ve already witnessed many of them return to and continue their daily lives without much consequence or repercussions.
Tarana Burke in Time Survivors of Sexual Assault Are Voters Too. So Why Aren’t t he Presidential Candidates Paying Attention to Them?
To candidates and elected officials, we say: Your leadership on addressing sexual violence is needed now more than ever. Don’t underestimate the power and voices of survivors. We are strong in numbers and will never be silenced again.