Tag: sexual assault awareness

“It’s just a joke” What happens when sexual assault becomes the punchline?

Written by Maria Villegas on August 12, 2026. Posted in Blog. No Comments on “It’s just a joke” What happens when sexual assault becomes the punchline?

By: Sylvie Kamb, I Have The Right To Intern

“It’s just a joke”– the phrase has become commonplace across Gen Z spaces. Games like Five Nights at Epstein’s are emerging, and P Diddy has been a punchline for years. Yet, when you hear these kinds of inhumane jokes that leave a pit in your stomach, criticism is immediately followed by “don’t get all woke; we’re just kidding.” Gen Z is seemingly entranced with this type of ‘dark humor’, sexual assault being the newest punchline. But these jokes are more than just dark humor—they’ve become commonplace as a modern propaganda technique.

Who Gets Humanized?

Written by Maria Villegas on August 11, 2026. Posted in Blog. No Comments on Who Gets Humanized?

By: Siena Leis, I Have The Right To Intern

In January 2015, a 22-year-old Chanel Miller was sexually assaulted outside a Stanford fraternity party after blacking out. For years, she was publicly identified as “Emily Doe” while her case moved through trial, conviction, and a sentencing that gained national attention. While I was too young to hear about this while it happened, my mother remembers it viscerally. She was always shocked by the media’s stories, and by how insensitive they could be. In 2019, she published her memoir under her real name.

Blog banner with colorful Ghanaian textile background highlighting Fighting Stigma: a cross-cultural look at barriers survivors of sexual abuse face in Ghana and the U.S.

Barriers for Survivors: Fighting Stigma in Ghana and the U.S.

Written by Maria Villegas on September 17, 2025. Posted in Blog.

By Emma Heffer, I Have The Right To Intern

Survivors of sexual and domestic abuse face various barriers in pursuit of justice and healing – these obstacles are influenced by law, culture, and access, but many share a common root: stigma. After having the unique opportunity to work with legal and advocacy organizations in Ghana, I was provided with firsthand insight into the deep societal and physical barriers survivors face. These challenges, while unique in their distinct cultural influence, reflect a broader, global issue. This article explores the specific barriers in Ghana, their parallels with American obstructions to justice, and how we can all be a part of the fight against stigma facing survivors.