After watching Brave Miss World, I finally feel empowered to speak out about my rape. Seven years ago, when I was 17, I was repeatedly raped by my boyfriend at the time. At that moment, I didn’t fully understand that it was rape. But, in the years since then, I have come to realize that the repeated nonconsensual sex that he forced me to engage in was just that, rape.
At the time, and even in the years following the rape, I felt ashamed. I felt that because we were dating, it couldn’t be rape, and I thought no one would take me seriously if I attempted to do anything about it.
Now, although I didn’t press charges and although he will never face any consequences of what he did to me, I know that I have grown into a strong, confident women, not just in spite of but in part because of what happened to me. I’ll be graduating with my doctorate in psychology in two years, and I hope to help women who have experienced domestic violence and rape. I feel so moved by Linor’s story, and I’m eager to do what I can to help other women.
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