The word Survivor may have a different meaning for different people. Generally, any person who gets through well from any affliction or happening is called a survivor. The month of October being cancer and domestic violence awareness month is generally flooded with cancer awareness programs and events. Many celebrities, NGOs come forward to support cancer and domestic violence survivors which is really appreciable but unfortunately we rarely see any such awareness program for Sexual Assault victims. The reason could be because whenever we hear the word survivor, “sexual assault” hardly pops up in our mind.
For the majority of the population, survivor means the cancer survivors, domestic violence survivors, acid attack survivors, PTSD survivors, but nobody thinks about the sexual assault survivors. The reason might be the hesitation people feel while talking about sexual assaults. Another reason could be either the lack of awareness about sexual assaults or the fear of society among the survivors.
I think sexual assault survivors if recognized and supported can change the paradigm that society has set till now. This can give other victims the feeling of acceptance and victory. They should be treated with immense dignity and support as they might have fought hard within themselves and thousands of unheard fears to have overcome their sufferings.