Documentary highlights plight of sexually assaulted women in
Mexico
Morgan Hill – In America, one in six women and one in 33 men are victims of sexual assault.
One in five women has experienced attempted or complete rape, and one in 10 men will be sexually assaulted during his lifetime, according to FBI statistics.
Community Solutions, a local nonprofit human service provider, wants to shed some light on the subject and remind Morgan Hill that sexual assault and abuse is any type of uninvited sexual activity, including:
- Inappropriate touching
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Vaginal, anal, or oral penetration
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Sexual intercourse that you say no to
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Rape
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Attempted rape
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Child molestation
Community Solutions and other anti-sexual assault organizations such as the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network are sponsoring several events and activities to help raise awareness about sexual assault.
“No one person or organization can eliminate sexual violence on their own,” said Debbie Ruiz, a sexual assault advocate for Community Solutions. “Statistics suggest that we all know a survivor of sexual assault,” Ruiz said.
Sexual Assault Awareness Month is an opportunity for people to step forward and show their support to survivors; to create a community where survivors feel safe to speak out and attackers do not feel safe committing sexual violence, said Ruiz.
On April 19, at 6:30pm, Community Solutions will show the documentary “Señorita Extraviada, Missing Young Woman,” at the Community Play House, 17000 Monterey Road. The documentary tells the tale of the hundreds of women who have been raped, kidnapped and murdered in Juarez, Mexico, since 1993.
The bilingual documentary is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served. After the documentary, Community Solutions will unveil an art exhibit titled “Truth and Hope” created and coordinated by Amy Molina, sexual assault and prevention services coordinator for Community Services.
“It was important to me to organize an event which addresses not only what’s happening in our community, but on a global level as well,” Molina said. “This documentary is amazing. It’s very real and disturbing, and it evokes the type of emotion needed to work towards ending social injustice and oppression. It’s imperative that we understand these inhumane crimes and recognize the individual needs of each victim, survivor and their families in order to effectively provide necessary support.”
From October 2005 through March, Community Solutions provided sexual assault crisis intervention services to 86 people in South County; answered more than 100 crisis calls and gave sexual assault prevention services to more than 450 individuals.
Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106 ext. 202 or at md****@*************es.com.
