Teddy Hall graduate student Jeanne Ryan has started a fundraising page for the Oxford Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Centre on popular internet site ‘JustGiving’ to protest against sexual violence after being physically assaulted for refusing unwanted sexual advances in an Oxford nightclub.
At the time of writing her JustGiving page has raised £2,513.54 from 328 donations. The campaign, she explains on the page, was motivated by “rage” at her treatment, which she also describes. “For telling a guy in a club who groped me that it is completely inappropriate to touch a woman without her consent, I was beaten. He told me to “Smile!”, too. “
Ryan’s drive to raise money and awareness of the issue is being publicised through Facebook, where her ‘#nomakeupselfie’ picture, which shows the painful extent of the facial injuries she suffered – including a broken nose, has been shared multiple times.
Along with her photo, Ryan posted a statement clarifying her intentions, saying “I am sorry cancer research, but my ‪#nomakeupselfie‬ is for a different cause”
She goes on to explain that, “I’m trying to channel my rage into something constructive, so i’m raising money for the Oxford Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Centre (OSARCC)”.
Exeter third year Simi Nijher shared the picture, and told Cherwell, “In the midst of the viral #nomakeup selfie craze, which has caused widespread controversy around whether women should be considered ‘brave’ for appearing bare-faced in public, this alarming case and image reinvigorates the discussion by deviating from the playful selfies that are otherwise filling our newsfeeds.”
She added that, “Cancer research is a wonderful cause and the craze has successfully raised an incredible amount, but the visceral appearance of a beaten girl advocating help for other sufferers of sexual harassment and abuse ultimately forces us to compare a vacuous action with a substantial one. Of course this will not become the new trend, nor would it be healthy if it were to become one, however the real bravery of this girl to instigate a positive movement from such an abhorrent experience made me want to share her plight far more than I was motivated to snap my face in the bathroom mirror.”
Jeanne Ryan’s fundraising page can be found here. Cherwell’s Michaelmas 2013 investigation into sexual violence is online too.
