I DON’T FEEL SAFE.

CW: Sexual violence.

This is the exclamation of our tauira, our rangatahi, our wāhine. We’re rallying to lift up these voices. Our friends, our sisters, ourselves.

Sexual violence is a dark, transient plague that has seeped its way into spaces for too long. It’s a result of poorly designed streets, unhealthy cultures within industries and within people, and abused privilege. It happens during the day and during the night. Indoors and outdoors. In the city and in the surrounding suburbs. It’s everywhere, and we don’t feel safe.

We’re rallying to bring it out of the shadows, and to remind those in power that urgent and drastic change is needed and expected.

This isn’t coming from nowhere. It’s coming from hundreds of posts on social media, where women go to find solidarity because there’s not much else on offer. It’s coming from constant whispers between friends, classmates and colleagues, expressing their anxiety and telling each other which streets to avoid at which times. And it’s coming from frequent, blatant, and visible examples of harm, violence and unwarranted anger.

Students have been quietly approaching their students associations, asking what can be done, and what is being done. This is our response. 

We have to rally, because there’s not much else we can do. Wellington’s volunteer-reliant services like HELP are over-run. Our universities do little to support us. Massey’s only now implementing a Harmful Sexual Behaviours Policy after decades of operating without one.

Too little has been done for too long, which is why we’re taking a city-wide issue into our own hands. It’s not our job to fix this single-handedly, but we’re saying to those in power that we want to work with them to find a better future. They just need to step up.

So for all you folk who are scared to walk home after class, go into town at night, or wait for your train, this is for you. We’re demanding change.

Let Us Live.