Sexual violence in the Caribbean: call for testimonies
‘Les Inéteintes’ are a duo of former victims of sexual violence. With ‘Briser le silence’, they are launching an anonymous questionnaire to gather testimonies, assess the number of victims of sexual violence in the West Indies, and gain a better understanding of this issue, which remains difficult to discuss.
Dubbed ‘Breaking the Silence’, this citizens’ initiative aims to empower victims of this type of violence in the Guadeloupe archipelago, including Saint Martin, to speak out. The two organisers, who describe themselves as “ordinary people who have decided to launch this initiative on their own”, have drawn up a completely anonymous questionnaire covering the violence suffered, the victims’ age at the time of the incident, their relationship with the perpetrator and any steps taken.
The survey also examines the psychological and physical consequences of the violence, the role of those around the victim, the barriers to speaking out, and awareness of support services.
Beyond the testimonies, ‘Les Inéteintes’ aim to understand the influence of social and family norms on victims’ silence and to identify needs that remain inadequately met.
Their ambition is now to circulate this questionnaire widely in order to gather enough responses to carry out an analysis and raise public awareness. This initiative aims to transform individual experiences – which are often kept hidden – into collective awareness. The questionnaire is available online: https://form.jotform.com/262314440254044. For further information: Instagram @nous.ineteintes1.
