This case has proven that larger society remains a hostile environment for victims of abuse, especially if they are women. Whether or not you believe Amber Heard, the mere fact that people went to extensive lengths to disprove her claims is shocking and should raise a red flag.
I’m writing this because as much as I would never want this to happen to anyone, we live in a cruel and evil world — and if it should happen to anyone, they shouldn’t feel alone. They should take some hope for the future; and for those who have the privilege of never experiencing this type of degradation, you take with you some empathy.
Black-and-white photos of women flooded Instagram in mid-July with the hashtag #ChallengeAccepted. So far, more than 6 million women have posted pictures using the hashtag and that number continues to increase.
The trend, originally from a 2016 challenge to raise cancer awareness, reappeared with a new purpose this past month — a reminder of the femicide rates in Turkey and the importance of the Istanbul Convention, which was signed in 2011 to take measures that would prevent violence against women, protect victims and prosecute the perpetrators.