This TED Talk conference is a welcome way of opening up discussions on sexual violence with an audience mostly composed of men. In this video, protagonists Thordis and Tom use their stories to try and make a difference in the fight against this sort of violence.
While Thordis and Tom were in a relationship, aged 16 and 18 respectively, Tom sexually assaulted Thordis. Throughout their interwoven accounts of the event and the years that followed, we learn about their emotional journeys and questions. Moreover, this conference provides insights into the protective strategies they adopted during and after sexual assaults.
Include Men in the Conversation
This story is accompanied by a plea for men to be more involved in conversations about sexual violence. From the accounts of both the person who perpetrated the sexual assault and the person who was sexually assaulted, we can see how important it is to recognize the human beings behind the “victim” and “offender” labels. The subtleties also make us think about the importance of grasping the weight of the words we use to talk about these issues.
This talk was given as part of TEDWomen 2016. The video is available in English with French subtitles.
TEDWomen
TEDWomen is a spin-off of the famous TED Talks that specifically aims to put the spotlight on women and girls who are driving change. TED Talks are events and conferences that seek to spread knowledge in a fairly accessible way to bring about change around the world.
