“We have really only begun our work and we would like to emphasize that violence has no place in our homes, our offices, anywhere. It takes all of us to create a safe and healthy CNMI. We should not be tolerant of any form of abuse or assault and we ask our community to be vigilant in watching out for those that need our help the most,” said coalition executive director Maisie B. Tenorio. The Coalition will wrap up Sexual Assault Awareness Month with the Safe, Aware, Free, Empower Jamboree this Saturday at the Koblerville Youth Center from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. and the public is invited to attend.
The coalition earlier held a Walk Against Sexual Violence, a mass vigil, offered information at Thursday night street market booths and the American Red Cross-CNMI chapter walkathon as well as coordinated a print and broadcast campaign that included English, Chamorro, Carolinian, Chinese, Filipino and Chuukese commercials to deliver this important message to the islands’ diverse community. In recognition of April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the coalition and its partners have launched a campaign to address the rising problem of domestic violence and sexual assault.
“Over the years, the CNMI has evolved into a community of a very rich and versatile mix of cultures and languages. Now we are challenged to engage people of these diverse backgrounds into the same cause — to create a community free of sexual violence,” said Keiko Odashiro, a local advocate.
“Sexual assault breaks an individual’s whole integrity and self-worth. Sexual assault violates human rights. It is a crime against human dignity.
Sexual assault is a public safety issue that threatens our community welfare and survival,” she said.
According to the national statistics about sexual assault by RAINN, or Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, an American is sexually assaulted every two and a half minutes.”
“Are we, as residents of the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands active and proactive enough to prevent the crime of sexual assault from happening?” asked Odashiro.
Sexual assault is a pervasive problem that hits all sectors of our commonwealth. It does not discriminate based on ethnicity, gender, age, ability or socio-economic status.
This is because perpetrators prey on victims’ vulnerabilities. Victims can be anybody. They might come from broken families or intact families.
Victims may also come from culturally and linguistically isolated communities where there is a persistent distrust towards law enforcement and mainstream social services.
They might come from the culture that taboos the reporting of sexual assault crime or that solely blames the victims for their predicament.
Perpetrators do not spot victims randomly. They carefully observe the victim and plan the crime.
“That’s why we all need to be alert and prepare for responding to the incident of sexual assault. When the crime happens to victims, they often do not report to the authorities, but rather to somebody close to them such as friends and family members, teachers and school counselors. We all can be advocates for those whom we care about,” said Odashiro.
“This is the community we love and we want to make our living place safe and sound. There are things we can do to protect our friends, family members and people in our community. Talk about sexual violence in your community,” she said.
For more information, call the coalition at 234-3878 or for help, call the Karidat Victim Hotline at 234-5100.
