During this year’s 16 Days Against Gender-Based Violence campaign WITNESS focused on providing tips to help journalists and activists safely and ethically report on sexual violence. We did this because of the distressing number of recent cases that demonstrate the challenges journalists and survivors face when reporting on sexual assault.

To wrap-up the campaign, we’ve compiled a list of 16 news stories, videos and resources that set positive examples for activists and reporters looking to share the stories of sexual violence survivors. We also included some negative examples that remind us why the push to end violence against women is not something we can accomplish in 16 days, but rather must remain a focus 365 days of the year.

News

1) Vox reacts to Rolling Stone’s apology for the controversial “A Rape On Campus” article and stresses that reporters should to have a better understanding of the impact of post-traumatic stress on a survivor’s memory and that checking sources is an important part of protecting a survivor’s story.  Also, listen this great coverage by NPR’s On the Media.

Ashley Yates, co-founder of MAU. Credit: Dayton Daily News
Ashley Yates, co-founder of Millennial Activists United. Credit: Dayton Daily News

2) While many pundits are wondering how Bill Cosby’s career could come crashing down so suddenly, Salon wonders why it took the media so long to report on the allegations of sexual assault.

3) This article in Think Progress highlights Millennial Activist United, a youth-led grassroots group in Ferguson, MO that was created in part to strengthen women’s voices among the activists and organizers demanding accountability and justice in Ferguson and across the U.S.

4) The Daily Beast takes on this year’s 16 Days campaign theme – ending militarism and gender-based violence – with their insightful article on women and war.

5) Australian gaming journalist Alanah Pearce spoke to The Guardian about how she discovered that the death and rape threats she was receiving on social media were coming from young boys, and how her efforts to stop the harassment led her to the boys’ mothers.

6) Sudanese journalist, Amal Habani, received the Amnesty International USA Award for Women’s Human Rights Defenders for her work standing up for the rights of women and children.

Videos

Still from the video "Play and Win"
Still from the video “Play and Win” by Women Win.

7) A video of two Indian sisters fighting back against a group of men allegedly harassing them on a bus drew widespread attention and reignited the call for the Indian government to change their policies on sexual assault.

8) The organization Women Win released a new video, Play and Win, to show the transformational power of sports for women living in the Arab world.

9) Priya Shakti is an incredible new comic ‘super hero’ that was created with the with goal of raising awareness around sexual violence in India. Watch this video to learn more.

10) Disturbing videos showing the harassment and shaming of sex workers in Central Asia have been trending on social media in Tajikistan, exposing some of the threats migrant women face in the region.

11) Dignity Television, a new video project in Cameroon, aims to share testimonies of survivors of human rights violations and open up a dialogue about the safety of women and girls in public places

Campaigns & Resources

Journalists Safety Toolkit from Take Back the Tech.
Journalists Safety Toolkit from Take Back the Tech.

12) Take Back the Tech offers a great toolkit to promote the safety of journalists.

13) openDemocracy has produced a powerful 16 Days blog series, covering issues from women in ISIS to gender violence in the media.

14) This year Promundo is offering 16 practical tips on how men and boys can prevent gender-based violence.

15) Women Under Siege profiles 16 different countries and regions to show the horrific impact of conflict on women and children’s’ lives.

16) UN Women takes a look at how the media can engage and empower women, and how it can perpetuate discrimination, stereotypes and revictimize survivors of sexual violence.

Don’t forget to check out WITNESS’ resources on conducting interviews with survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.

What else would you add to this list? Let us know in the comments below!

Feature Image: Still from the Priya Shakti trailer by Rattapallax.

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