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[hear-her-zine]

Abortion has been such a taboo subject for many years, and still continues to be a conflicting topic for many people. A lot of people have heard the term abortion at least once in their lives. There are so many people protesting for the government to put up laws and rules on abortions because of what they hear, not because of what they know. The formal definition for abortion is it is a deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, most often performed during the first 28 weeks of pregnancy. Most people think abortion can happen all the way up to labor, when in fact it most happens before the woman turns 29 weeks in her pregnancy.

Abortion has been such a forbidden thing for so many years, and people have looked down on others for getting them. As years have gone by, it slowly has started becoming more normal to many people, but in today’s society it still isn’t where it should be. People are protesting for woman to stop have abortions, and guilt tripping them into thinking it is morally wrong, when in fact it is a perfectly fine decision.

We are in a time where women should have full control over their bodies, and should be able to choose to not have a baby without people shouting at her that she is a murderer or should do jail time. We need to start hearing our women, listening to our women, making a change for women and their rights. Women have one sacred thing in our lives; our bodies and we should be able to make our own decisions about what happens to them or what happens in them without getting hate or being looked down upon.

Let’s take a look at the statistics in the United States since 2018. From 2009 to 2018, the number, rate, and ratio of reported abortions decreased 22%, 24%, and 16%, respectively. In 2017, the total number, rate, and ratio of reported abortions decreased to historic lows for the period of analysis for all three measures. However, compared with 2017, in 2018, the total number and rate of reported abortions increased by 1%, and the abortion ratio increased by 2%. In 2018, 619,591 legal induced abortions were reported to CDC from 49 reporting areas. Among 48 reporting areas with data each year during 2009–2018, in 2018, a total of 614,820 abortions were reported, the abortion rate was 11.3 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44 years, and the abortion ratio was 189 abortions per 1,000 live births. So as we can see, the rates seem to be really low compared to previous years and this is due to the amount of negative comments people have made on abortion.

Many people believe that abortion can happen at anytime, when in fact the majority of abortions in 2018 took place early in gestation: 92.2% of abortions were performed at ≤13 weeks’ gestation; a smaller number of abortions (6.9%) were performed at 14–20 weeks’ gestation, and even fewer (1.0%) were performed at ≥21 weeks’ gestation. Women aren’t going full term and then aborting the baby late in their pregnancy like many people believe.

Which is why we need more organizations to help women normalize their choices and their ideals for their bodies. The only organization I see fully support women and women only would be planned parenthood, in which people are trying to protest to get it shut down and for it to be defunded by our government. We need to create more choice for women when it comes to protecting themselves and their bodies. We need women to be heard on their ongoing problems. Problems that we have been battling for so long. We need to be freed from this guilt that is being shamed on us, due to other peoples ideals and beliefs.

More people need to be aware of the facts rather than depending on what they believe. Women should be fought for more, and deserve more freedom with their bodies without being talked down upon.

[hear-her-zine]

Sexual violence, it’s a topic that makes the headlines now and then. First and foremost what is it? What is considered to be sexual violence? There are actually a couple types of it. Sexual assault is sexual violence. This includes rape, attempted rape, and any form of touching without consent. It can be drug induced or it can be forced. It can happen to both male and female, and it can happen to children too. However it is most common for women to experience sexual violence. Sexual violence is a very promininent and common occurence in today’s society. In the United States one out of six women has been a victim of sexual violence, attempted, rape, or completed rape. There are an average of 433, 648 victims of rape and sexual assault each year in the United States. And every 73 seconds someone is sexually assaulted in the U.S. If this is so common why haven’t we made any changes to make our society a better place for all people? We as a country need to come together and fight for justice. Let us break down the numbers for you. The majority of sexual assaulters do not go to prison. According to RAIIN, the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network, states that,”out of every 1,000 sexual assaults, 995 perpetrators will walk free.” RAIIN shows that 230 are reported to the police, 46 reports lead to arrest, 9 cases get referred to prosecutors, 5 cases will lead to a felony conviction, and 4.6 rapists will be incarcerated. All of this contributes to the reason why victims choose to not speak out against the assault. Why report it when no one will listen? Unfortunately, this is the reality of the current state of our country. So why should we care? Well, we’re talking about the basic human right everyone should have to feel safe in the environment they live in. Also sexual violence is a severe violation of another person’s rights. It can negatively affect their mental health and can have a significant effect on someone’s life forever. And the fact that justice is almost never served for the victims is absolutely angering to watch as a bystander. We cannot go about this as just “someone else’s problem” anymore, we need to make the active decision to change.

How can we help? There are many organizations and programs that are dedicated to aiding the prevention of sexual assault in any shape or form. Some resources that are available are organizations like the Rape Prevention and Education program (RPE). This organization helps to prevent sexual violence by sending funds to state and territorial health departments in all 50 states. The RPE program recipients work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders, including state sexual violence coalitions, educational institutions, rape crisis centers, community organizations, and other state agency partners to guide implementation and evaluation of their state sexual violence prevention efforts. The CDC also backs up this program by providing tools and training to the RPE program to help promote it and spread awareness. There are also sexual assault hotlines to call which will connect the caller to a trained sexual assault service member in your area. Another program is RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network). This program consists of victim services, public education, public policy, and a consulting service. It is centered around what the victim needs in whatever stage they are in recovering from recovering from any form of sexual assault. It ranges from dealing with the post trauma all the way to working at the federal and state level to improve the criminal justice system. And the most basic form of helping the cause is spreading awareness of this issue.

Surprisingly, some people are not educated enough about this topic and treat this issue very lightly. Here are some facts about sexual violence/assault that you might not know. Rape results to about 32,000 pregnancies a year, most victims are assaulted by a person they know, 42% of college women who are raped doesn’t tell anyone about the incident, 42% or raped women are expected to be raped again, and 4 out of 5 rape victims suffer from chronic physical and/or mental/psychological conditions.

[hear-her-zine]

By the year 2024, gender stereotypes should be considered a social norm since the 2020 generation is conforming based on what their preferences are. From their appearances in public to what they associate in, men & women should have the right to dress, act and live the way they want to instead of giving in to what society wants them to be. Society should learn not to be judgmental and let their ignorance get in the way of stereotyping groups, societal perception gets in the way to do so. Gender stereotyping also consists wrongful gender stereotyping and harmful stereotyping, which intersects with society’s preferences leading to negative, disproportionate impacts as well as frequent discrimination. Since it exists in today’s time, gender stereotyping is seen as an issue deeply enriched in our society, portraying both positive and negative traits that engulf people’s minds about others.

A good percent of society, including states, have obliged to eradicate the discrimination that both genders experienced in all areas of their life. States have been taking measures so that both genders can be refrained from receiving hostile stereotypes. Members of the LGBT community, famous celebrities such as English singer, Harry Styles (who go against social norms when wearing women’s clothes and in touch with his feminine side), and teachers & counselors have been role models who go against society’s social norms and choose to be themselves.

Gender stereotypes have consequences and kill self-confidence. Action should be taken immediately since certain genders are being limited to professions that are “for men” or is not considered feminine, same goes for men if it isnt considered “manly” then he’s homosexual. These hostile stereotypes affect the way people behave whether it’s behind closed doors or out in public. In the workforce and school community, both genders are constantly being influenced by certain relationships and their participation in society.

Some resources include seeking help from your local counselors, teachers, anyone you can confide in and is not limited to any age groups. Take the STEM program for example, fields of study consist mainly of men and only 28.4% are women however is diverse and increased over time due to the programs attraction. STEM has also welcomed both genders, especially women who can provide their knowledge, making research more innovative and better. With both genders being represented, the workforce has been able to keep a steady equality correlation which tackles the issue on gender stereotypes.

[hear-her-zine]

Some may think of domestic violence in the United States as a uniquely “female” experience. What is problematic about this thought process is that it misrepresents the issue and invalidates the stories of millions of male, trans, and non-binary victims. I would know, because I’ve gone through it.

The reality is anyone can be the victim of abuse in a relationship.

To be struck by the hand of their loved one is a universal trauma, a painful epidemic that affects individuals in every community, regardless of age, wealth, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or background. And while I can sit here and tell you that it’s an overarching matter and that it needs to be looked at from all angles, the fact of the matter is, there’s a reason why so many people share this preconceived notion.

Reality is disproportionately cruel when it comes to America’s population of women.

Domestic violence may be a crime that is indiscriminate in nature, yet, its concerning statistics and research suggest a story that is quite the opposite.

“Women ages 18 to 24 and 25 to 34 generally experience the highest rates of intimate partner violence,” and “from 1994 to 2010, approximately 4 in 5 victims were female”

And while “almost half of all women and men in the U.S. have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner” in their lifetime (48.4% and 48.8%, respectively), women are nearly 3 times more likely than men to have “experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by a partner” and report it as “having a related impact on their functioning” (~3/10 vs. 1/10)

Over 1 in 3 women (35.6%) in the U.S. have “experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner” in their lifetime, and just under 15% (14.8%) have sustained injuries as a direct result

1 in 4 women have also been the victim of what can be considered “severe physical violence by an intimate partner” in their lifetime

Research also suggests that “the majority of women’s physical violence against men is in response to being abused by those men”

To make matters more bleak perhaps, it’s apparent that the United States and its authoritative bodies typically do little to help these women. The National Domestic Violence Hotline and Professor TK Logan from the University of Kentucky conducted a survey of women who contacted the hotline, finding a strongly shared reluctance in trusting law enforcement, regardless of prior interactions with the police.

1 in 4 reported that they would not call the police in the future

More than half reported that calling made conditions worse

2/3 or more expressed a fear that turning to police would prove to be a futile effort: scared they would refuse to believe them, or do nothing to intervene.

Members of law enforcement have commonly been found abusive, with sexual abuse ranking second in all forms of police misconduct.

More than just a single strike or disagreement turned ugly, domestic violence is a pattern of behaviors used by a partner to maintain power and control over the other in a relationship. These patterns also tend to extend onto children, leave long lasting effects in teens and young adults, pervade workplace environments, and are exacerbated by the presence of firearms. Physical violence is just one form of abuse, in fact, abuse is often present in multiple forms at once. Examples include:

Verbal abuse

Discouraging socialization

Exercising control over one’s finances and/or personal belongings

Extreme overprotection

Overreactions to a partner’s substance use

Actively preventing a partner from seeking help

Threatening a partner

Sexual abuse

Psychological manipulation

Gaslighting

Blackmailing

Self-victimization

CASES OF ABUSE CAN RANGE FROM A SLOW-BURNING CANDLE TO A RAGING INFERNO, BUT NO MATTER THE CIRCUMSTANCE, THE VICTIM IS ALMOST ALWAYS LEFT IN ASHES.

Ultimately, the longer one stays in an abusive relationship, the greater the physical and emotional toll. It becomes this vicious cycle that only becomes harder and harder to break, and at some point or another, you either break it or it breaks you. Speaking from experience, it’s easier said than done.

The first step in overcoming abuse is arguably the hardest: the internal struggle. Often, the victim is aware of their treatment. The question: “Why don’t you just leave them?” ends up becoming one of the most puzzling and most frequent questions you’ll encounter. You might respond with:

“You don’t know what it’s like…”

“But, we’ve been through so much together…”

“We’re doing so well now…”

“He/she can get better, I believe in him/her, I trust him/her…”

Or perhaps the hardest one of all: “But, I love him/her…”

And it’s okay to have these feelings. It’s often out of our control who we love, despite their flaws. What’s not okay, however, is loving someone with your best intentions and receiving this kind of pain in return. Letting go can feel like losing the battle, but considering your own safety and understanding that this isn’t love is the key to winning the war.

Consider these options:

Create a safety plan.

Call a woman’s shelter or domestic violence hotline at a safe time.

Pack emergency items and keep your important belongings on hand for use at a moment’s notice. Leave your emergency items in a safe place.

Know exactly where you’ll go and how you’ll get there.

Protect your communication and location. Be wary of trackable technology.

In an immediate emergency, call 911 or local law enforcement. Otherwise, try to seek help from the following resources:

Someone you trust - You can turn to a friend, loved one, neighbor, coworker, religious/spiritual advisor

The National Domestic Violence Hotline - Call (800)799-7233 or visit their website thehotline.org

Your healthcare provider - Medical personnel can treat injuries and refer you to safe housing and/or other local resources.

A local women’s shelter or crisis center - These typically provide 24-hour emergency shelter and support services, as well as offer advice on legal matters.

A counseling or mental health center - Support groups for women in abusive relationships can be found in most communities.

A local court - Seeking a restraining order can force an abuser to stay away or face arrest.