I was browsing the internet for inspiration today, and I found some pretty crazy stuff. I found a really cool poem about the 189 things women are expected to do everyday to prevent rape from happening to them. It went into how if a man did 189 things to prevent trauma he would be classified as a paranoid schizophrenic. It seems like women might as well be expected to know how to say no in every language, or else they’re asking for it. Hey, they didn’t say no, right? Wait. What?!
A few months ago, someone shared her story of sexual violence with me, but she was unsure of what to make of the situation. She was in a foreign country. She didn’t speak Spanish very well, and he didn’t know any English. They could communicate well enough to be friends, but maybe something was just lost in translation that time. She remembers saying no over and over, but she excused his behavior with not knowing her language. I told her that no is the same in Spanish!! And that even if it wasn’t the same, the meaning of the word holds true in all languages. He would have known from her body language and the way she was pushing him away that she wasn’t saying yes.
Anyway, International Night and that story inpired the photo today. Jenni helped me make this poster… She’s awesome!
No in nearly 60 languages
My Resources for Today:
A super interesting article about rape in South Africa.
Another interesting article about how rape is used as a weapon in war.
The full list of 57 ways to say No.
Whitney T. Photography 
Amazing post my friend! Can’t wait to read the poem you linked for us. Crazy stuff!
Thanks Bonnie!! I hope you liked the poem too! 🙂
I have missed your blog so much the last week or so and I fully plan to catch up. I was shocked by that number… 189 things we must to in order to not be violated. That is just insane. And you are absolutley correct in your assessment about your friend, body language doesn’t need a spoken word. You still amaze me Miss Whitney!
Thanks Mindy! I’m glad things are calming down for you! You are the sweetest! 🙂 And yeah! Don’t they say body language is 90% of communication anyway?
Very creative work. I will definitely read the poem….keep going….you are inspiring to a lot of people….
Thank you!!! I hope that my work is helping someone somewhere 🙂