Everyone fares better at something when there is a good support system. Similarly, every woman can speak out against the violence they face if they are supported.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of uncertainties that come with speaking out in this society: distrustful friends & families, public shaming, new threats of violence, unhelpful & hostile public agencies, etc. The battle against these uncertainties is a systemic & structural one, but what could encourage any person to nonetheless speak out is simple—to know that they are understood & supported.
In the face of perpetual gender-based violence, there are many sides to understand, support & encourage. It is the little sister who is already observing, the daughter who will one day see it all, the survivors themselves who may be going through unimaginable hardships, and many other individuals who are affected by gender-based violence.
How may we remind them that they are not alone?
Calling for writers & poets!
Write a letter to anyone you think needs encouragement in speaking out against gender-based violence. Other than positive encouragement, you may also write a letter to the perpretrators, whether direct or indirect—the men who subordinates others, the public agencies who continue to stereotype ‘women like us’ and deny their services, the families that distrust, etc.
Guidelines:
Submit your entry by 22nd May 2022 to programme@empowermalaysia.org. Late submissions will not be accepted.
Title your email submission with: “2022 feminis.my entry: [title of your piece]”
Winners will be notified via email.
Plagiarised work is strictly prohibited.
There is no minimum or maximum word count.
You may interpret the idea of “letters” as creatively as you require. They can be in the form of first-person point of view, stories, poems, or anything at all. It is the sincerity that matters!