Take time to watch Kayley Dixon perform her moving poem Won’t Tell a Soul as she takes a stand against sexual violence from the perspective of a teen girl today.

To hear such powerful words from the mouth of an young woman at the age of fourteen scares me. At this age, young girls should have nothing to worry about besides their favorite pair of white converse getting muddy from the puddles they just can’t seem to dodge on the sidewalk or the education they are receiving.

From the eyes of a fourteen year old, boys are gross, unrealistic, and downright hilarious at times. The last thing I want to hear from a young girl’s mouth is that they are worried about being “sexualized” in a male’s eyes. It shouldn’t matter how much your skirt flows in the wind, how much of your bra strap is showing, or what your makeup looks like, no girl is asking for what is next.

As I continuously re-watch this captivating video, I think to myself how many young women’s stories go unnoticed, unheard of, and how many people have seen these actions happen but decided to turn a blind eye. Fear is what settles in.I am one of those women who walk faster when near groups or even one man pass by me, I am one of those women who hate the sounds of whistles and groans because I know I am worth more than these sounds from those who only think of me as the person beneath these clothes and not the one that lies within. I am one of those women who pretends to talk on the phone to a friend or family member whenever I am alone so nobody even thinks of me as vulnerable. I am one of those women, who will always be afraid of men, not because of what they are capable of but because of what they think they can do to women as if we are not human beings ourselves.

Windsor-Essex County needs more sexual assault/violence centers within our communities; we have a couple programs, and one major center; Sexual Assault Crisis Center.

A women should never feel alone, both mentally and physically a woman should always have somewhere to go when they feel helpless, lost, and violated in these incidents.

Never let someone take advantage of you, it’s not the clothes you are wearing, the makeup you wear, or the way you present yourself. We are not objects, we are women of empowerment, strength, and wisdom, with some much to do and so much to say. If you are being, or have been sexual assaulted please tell someone, it’s not your fault and you are not alone.

Please visit the Sexual Assault Crisis Centre of Windsor for more information on programs, counselling, and how you can stand up to sexual violence in your community.