Hi Friend,

Ellie here. I’m an intern at Strong Future Maryland and a Junior at the University of Maryland studying Public Policy and Economics. I’m also an event coordinator with our student organization Preventing Sexual Assault and an undergraduate representative on the Title IX Student Advisory Board.

In April, I took over the SFM Twitter for a day to talk about Sexual Assault Awareness month and share resources and information. Sexual assault is a huge problem, on college campuses especially. Women ages 18-24 who are college students are 3x more likely than women in general to experience sexual violence. But the problem pervades far beyond campuses — women of the same age who are not enrolled in college are 4x more likely to be assaulted. It is also important to acknowledge that survivors of power-based violence are disproportionately people or color.

April may be over, but we aren’t done talking about power-based violence and what we can do to support survivors. Check out the full Twitter thread here!

One of the best ways to support the survivors around you is to take the time to educate yourself and others on the prevalence of sexual assault and power-based violence. A really great book list highlighting voices from underrepresented communities is linked here. (Personally, Abused by Rachel Haines and Know My Name by Chanel Miller are some of my favorites!)

For anyone seeking help, Maryland's rape crisis centers are open during the COVID crisis and here for you. The Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA) is an amazing resource providing legal assistance for survivors along with other supportive services. If you are able, donating to MCASA or your local rape crisis center is another great way to support survivors.

Advocating for legislation that protects and prioritizes survivors is another important avenue for change. Keep up with MCASA’s legislative priorities here, and hold your legislators accountable for their votes on critical bills concerning sexual assault.

Finally, I want to leave a warm reminder to show the survivors in your life love, patience, and gratitude for sharing their truths.

All the best,
Ellie