Blog & Media Releases
Welcome to the Our Voice blog, a space dedicated to education, empowerment, and meaningful conversation.
This blog is part of our commitment to raising awareness about sexual violence, promoting healthy relationships, and building a more informed and compassionate community. Here, you’ll find articles that explore topics such as consent, survivor support, prevention strategies, and the broader cultural and systemic issues that shape our work.
Our goal is to provide accessible, thoughtful content for survivors, allies, educators, and community members alike. Expect practical tools, personal insights, and updates on Our Voice programs and initiatives.
Together, through knowledge and dialogue, we can create a safer and more just world.
Don’t Just Watch – How to Be an Active Bystander and Make a Real Difference
You see something that feels wrong—a rude comment, someone being followed, an uncomfortable moment at a party. You want to say something… but you don’t. You freeze. You wait. Maybe someone else will step in?
That’s the bystander effect. It’s something most of us have experienced, and it doesn’t mean we’re bad people. It means we’re human. But at Our Voice, we believe that being a bystander doesn’t have to mean being passive. We can all learn how to step in, safely and effectively, when something isn’t right.
How Society Perpetuates Rape Culture and What We Can Do About It
Rape culture is not just about individual acts of violence. It’s a broader system of beliefs, norms, and behaviors that normalize, excuse, or even promote sexual violence. It lives in the jokes we brush off, the questions we ask survivors, and the silence that surrounds certain conversations.
Understanding how society contributes to rape culture is the first step toward dismantling it—and creating a world where consent, respect, and safety are non-negotiable.
How to Support a Survivor of Sexual Violence
When someone discloses that they have experienced sexual violence, your response can have a lasting impact. Survivors may carry fear, shame, or uncertainty about how others will react. By responding with compassion, empathy, and respect, you can help foster healing and restore a sense of safety and trust.
Whether you’re a friend, family member, coworker, or someone the survivor turns to, here are key ways to offer meaningful support.
Raising Our Voices: A Podcast to Amplify Change
Raising Our Voices is a platform dedicated to advancing the movements to end sexual violence and human trafficking. Produced by Our Voice, this monthly podcast connects frontline advocacy with the larger struggle for justice, equity, and survivor-centered change.
Each episode amplifies diverse voices: survivors, advocates, and field experts, while demystifying complex systems and highlighting strategies that drive real progress. Listeners will gain deeper understanding of the issues shaping these movements, hear first-hand accounts from those on the front lines, and discover practical ways to support meaningful change. Whether you are an advocate, ally, policymaker, or simply someone who wants to better understand these urgent issues, Raising Our Voices offers the insight and perspective needed to engage with this critical work.
Episodes release monthly and will be available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and on our website. Stay Tuned!