‘Asking For It’ exhibition challenges sexual assault narratives

No one asks to be abused or assaulted. It is not the victims’ fault. It was not what they were wearing. Every survivor of sexual assault deserves justice and to be heard, believed, and supported. These were the clear messages as the ‘Asking for It’ exhibition on sexual assault awareness opened at the Umana Yana on Tuesday.

From ages 4 to 40, survivors of sexual assault shared their harrowing experiences on large placards. On display, next to their stories, are powerful experiences of outfits the survivors wore at the time of their assault.

The exhibition runs from April 1 – 7 and aims to confront difficult questions about consent and dismantle harmful societal narratives surrounding sexual violence.

But the exhibition also dives deeper to educate on the various laws and policies in place against sexual assault and violence.

The event marks the commencement of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, observed annually in April, and is hosted by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security in collaboration with The Imperial House.

Executive Director of The Imperial House, Wasim Khan, said the event was conceptualised when survivors were asked to share their stories.

He said speaking out took immense courage, and their stories are not just accounts of suffering but testaments to their survival, resilience, and their fight to reclaim dignity and justice.

“To think that persons have gone through such horror in places where they were supposed to be kept safe at home with their parents, grandparents, and yet this was the eventuality of it,” Khan explained.

For seven years, Vicky was assaulted by her grandfather.

“I took a shower, and when I was getting dressed, he came into the room and asked to see my boobs. I was terrified,” Vicky wrote.

For the seven years that she was abused, seven towels in a laundry basket were on display.

For Shanique, who was 7 at the time, a visiting deacon at her church raped her after she acted in play as Mary, the mother of Jesus. She was wearing a sheet.

“After the play, I left to use the washroom where I was cornered by a deacon from a visiting church. I didn’t recognise him from my church. But she knows his name based on his name tag.

Next to her story, a sheet was on display with an underwear on the ground.

For many others, the perpetrators were close to them – partners, employers, and teachers.

“We realise that age does not matter, gender neither, social stature not at all, ethnicity, religion and more so what you are wearing. Implicit in all of this is the deep understanding that no one asks for this, not a soul,” Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud said.

Minister Persaud said that to truly make a difference, society’s consciousness needs to change. She explained that when victims speak up, the remarks and reactions they receive expose deep-seated biases that must be confronted and changed.

“What we are standing against is not a two-day occurrenc. These are things that are embedded for decades, and I dare say centuries,” Minister Persaud said.

Deputy Director within the Ministry of Human Services, Hamwanttie Bisesar, said victim blaming does more than silence victims and survivors. It emboldens their perpetrators.

“Too often survivors are met with judgement instead of justice, scrutiny instead of support or phrases like ‘what was she wearing’ and ‘why was she there’, or in Guyanese dialect ‘dem girls like play big woman’ or ‘she was asking for it’,” Bisesar stated as she highlighted that sexual violence remains a pressing issue in society.

A study released in 2019, that was conducted by the Guyana Bureau of Statistics with support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), UN Women, UNDP, USAID, the Global Women’s Institute of George Washington University and the University of Guyana, revealed that more than half (55%) of all women experienced at least one form of violence at the hands of their partner.

In Guyana, 1 in every 2 women experience either physical and/or sexual violence, mostly by an intimate partner at some point in their lives.

“This is not just a statistic. It is a stark reminder of the pervasive nature of this problem and the urgent need for change,” Bisesar stressed.

Meanwhile, Child Care Director Levine Gouveia stressed that many children experience sexual abuse at the hands of individuals they trust, leading to lasting psychological, social, and emotional consequences.

“It is our duty to protect our children, educate them about personal safety, and create an environment where they feel safe to disclose abuse. We must also recognise that irresponsible reporting can be equally detrimental to victims of child sexual abuse,” Gouveia said.

The “Asking For It” exhibition is more than a display; it is an immersive experience designed to spark dialogue, challenge misconceptions, and ultimately drive meaningful change in the fight against sexual violence.