Clothes worn by survivors of sexual assault when they were attacked were displayed at a University of Otago exhibition to help show victims' choices are never the cause of sexual violence.
Laura Cairns led a team from the Students Against Sexual Violence group last week as they put together an exhibition called What I Was Wearing.
The exhibition consisted of a collection of outfits worn by survivors of sexual assault at the time of the incident.
“The aim of it is to dispel the rumour that we still hear that somehow what you were wearing contributes to the fact that you were assaulted; that if you were wearing something different it could have kept you safer,” said Ms Cairns.
She explained rape myths shifted the blame from the perpetrator to the victim by focusing on how the victim could have acted differently to avoid putting themselves in a dangerous situation.
“Survivors of sexual assault can hopefully walk through the exhibition and realise that they are most certainly not alone, and if they have internalised some of the blame, they can realise that it is not their fault at all.”
She hoped the exhibition could be part of victim's healing journeys and open up conversations about sexual violence for others.
The exhibition emphasised the importance of talking about sexual violence, even though it was confronting.
“Statistics show that one in three women will be sexually harassed or assaulted in their lifetime.”
Ms Cairns said she hoped Students Against Sexual Violence could play a role in changing attitudes and ensuring the safety of all students at Otago.
“The university have its sexual misconduct review at the moment, and we are aiming to provide a very strong student led voice within that review.”
Rape Awareness Week coincided with the opening of a new Sexual Violence Prevention Centre on the Otago University campus.
The exhibition took place in the Union Hall on the university campus, and the entry cost, a gold coin donation raised funds that went to Rape Crisis Dunedin, Women's Refuge, and Shakti.
By Jessica Howard