KUCHING: She was nine when two of her elder cousins took turns to rape her in her parents’ room at home.
“(That day) I just came home from school and wanted to play video games in my parents’ room before two of my cousins, aged 12 and 13, walked in.”
“They asked if I wanted to play a game with them – and I naively believed it was really a game until they locked the door and took turns to rape me.”
“One of them even spat in my face and said that ‘you said yes and you asked for it’ despite I never asking for it …,” said the survivor of sexual violence who wished to be known as Hurt.
This was among the stories shared by survivors of sexual harassment and violence at the ‘Breaking Our Silence’ exhibition, exhibition at Level 1, La Promenade Mall, which runs until April 16.
The exhibition is part of the Sarawak Women for Women Society (SWWS) #bukansalahkamek campaign, which features stories about sexual harassment and violence incidents, involving children, boys and girls as well as women and men.
The survivors’ stories are exhibited in four spaces, namely playschool, classroom, workplaces or public places and bedroom.
Meanwhile, another survivor shared that her traumatic experience occurred at her workplace where she was sexually harassed by a colleague.
She said the 58-year-old security guard was someone she had trusted and that he had offered her a shoulder massage as she was feeling unwell, almost like fainting.
“It was 7am (the day the incident happened) and I was the first to arrive at the office. There was no one nearby when I was feeling unwell – so he gave me a shoulder massage before he wandered off my shoulder and suddenly groped my breasts,” she shared.
“It was such a horrifying experience as the perpetrator was someone I trusted … I was even on medication (due to the incident) and tried to stop without doctor’s advice but I keep getting flashbacks of the incident,” said the 25-year-old survivor.
Instead of feeling ashamed, Sarawak Women for Women Society (SWWS) wants more survivors of sexual harassment and violence in Sarawak to come forward and share their stories – to normalise the topic.
SWWS member Kimberley Tan said oftentimes, survivors were questioned, disbelieved and blamed for their trauma, hence, many were reluctant to speak out.
“We are often weighed down by taboo, stigma and shame … but, all these will not help the victims and survivors with their journey of trauma healing,” she told New Sarawak Tribune.
“We want to address the issue with our social language in our community – that’s heavily adopted rape culture.
“Thus, we have begun a campaign – #bukansalahkamek to normalise conversation about sexual harassment and violence in Sarawak,” she explained.
Tan said most survivors of sexual harassment and violence would at one point think, “It was my fault” – hence, the #bukansalahkamek campaign, which means “It was not my fault” in Bahasa Sarawak, came about in 2019 when a team of passionate women gathered to brainstorm and aimed to do something to raise awareness on the issue in Sarawak.
She said the exhibition is part of the #bukansalahkamek campaign, that features stories about sexual harassment and violence incidents, involving children, below the age of eight, as well as other women and men.
Those who are interested to know more, can follow SWWS Instagram and Twitter @bukansalahkamek for any updates and events.
Apart from that, there are also merchandise for sale at the exhibition, while those interested in contributing in terms of cash donations, can reach out to 011-36593445.
SWWS also welcomes more volunteers to join their team to promote women’s equality and eliminate violence against women and children.
