In January 2017, I founded GirlSide Chats in response to the permissive abuse culture which disparages women on many levels. I experienced the election as an assault on women’s rights, safety and future and wanted to do something about it.
Raised in a misogynist religious community, I became keenly aware of the ravages this kind of toxic culture had on the human spirit. At age 11, I escaped becoming a child bride, unlike many of my friends who were force to marry men twice their age. These arrangements were made in an effort to control our feminine spirit, power and our voices.
This election triggered the feelings of oppression and with that reawakened my defiance. As a child, I stood up for myself and my friends and spoke out against injustice. I fought for my life once before and won.
I am here to do it again.
Vanessa
