Chile: Taking a stand against sexual violence on campus
It’s the middle of the semester, but many students in Chile are not in class. They’re on strike.
The protests are being led by female students who have had enough of sexual violence on campus. They don’t want to hear any more sexist comments from their teachers. They don’t want any more perpetrators to ‘get away with it’. So the students are braving the winter weather and putting their grades at risk, for the sake of seeing change.
Daniela, a student of GBU Chile, is one of those who cares deeply about this issue:
“About a month ago two of my friends revealed they’d been sexually abused in the past. I felt angry and outraged and hurt. But I knew I couldn’t just mourn forever. I had to do something. So that’s why I’m doing what I can now to raise awareness.”
At the end of this month, a group of GBU students will be inviting students to a gathering to talk about the issue of sexual violence on campus. They want to show that social matters matter to Christians. Daniela said:
“If we keep quiet and are indifferent to the situation, our friends are not going to listen to us when we try to share the gospel. They’ll think: ‘These Christians don’t know anything about the world we live in.’ We need to learn to weep with those who are weeping. To listen. To show empathy. And to present the truth that the gospel is good news for everyone, men and women.”
Please pray for students in Chile:
- Pray for an end to sexual violence and sexist systems in universities in Chile; and pray that justice, equality and security would prevail.
- Pray for Christian students to have wisdom in responding to the issue, and genuine love for those who are suffering.
- Pray that this dialogue event would be effective in increasing awareness, encouraging open discussion and building friendships.
Thanks for praying with us!