Being a woman of color and a rape survivor is tough. It’s tough because women of color have to deal with more than just rape, they have to deal with racism too. Most sexual assault cases on women of color go unreported because of the stereotypes regarding women of color.
In addition, women of color also deal with institutional racism, it’s hard for them to rely on the very institutions that treat them differently because of their race to handle their rape cases well. Fear of being treated differently is always looming in their minds.
Survivors of sexual assault need love and support in order to make the healing process easier. Getting to learn and familiarize yourself with the challenges faced by sexual assault survivors of color will help you understand and come up with better ways of supporting them. Being a woman of color and a sexual assault survivor is having to deal with the intersection of racism and rape.