The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre has launched an online platform to give survivors of sexual violence the opportunity to tell their story in their own words.
DRCC said the 'We-Speak' platform will give survivors a space to reclaim their narrative and to offer advice and encouragement to others.
It follows the 'We-Consent' campaign, which will run for three years and which aims to start an open and meaningful conversation about sex.
We-Consent campaign manager with the DRCC Sarah Monaghan said the it is the first anonymous online platform for people to share their experience of sexual violence in their own words, in their own time, from wherever they feel comfortable and safe doing.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, she said that "as we know from the latest CSO data, over half of women who have experienced sexual violence and over one-third of men who have experienced sexual violence never tell their story to anyone.
"And so, we hope that this will be a new option for people to share their story and their experience in a way that suits them in a safe and secure environment."
Ms Monaghan said that every day, callers to the DRCC's helpline speak of feeling alone and "very isolated after an experience of sexual violence and this community of stories really shows that no matter who you are, no matter what the specific details of your experience your story matters."
She said the stories are anonymised after they are submitted and anything that could identify the survivor or anyone else in the story is redacted.
It is then published online and the survivor receives a unique code "so they have full control of their story for the rest of its time on the site".
Ms Monaghan said the stories that have been submitted so far show the breadth and the diversity of survivor experience.
"It is not homogeneous group and it really highlights how, while we often think of sexual violence within quite narrow parameters, and we think of rape and sexual assault, there are also stories there that are about cat calling and groping, being touched in a club or a bar or feeling pressured or coerced into sex that you didn't really want to have".
Ms Monaghan said support services are offered to people who submit their stories.
DRCC National Helpline - 1800 77 8888
