GTG-27 | ASI's Story | SPB 2016

Can you tell us what you would like other young people to take away from this story?

I want other people to understand...that service workers are not slaves and not escort creatures. You can’t just harass them or make sexual propositions.

Can you tell us why you said yes to take part in this project?

I believe that the more people will learn about such stories, the sooner they will understand that they are not alone.

What did you enjoy about this project?

I like that I can share my story comfortably with someone and no one will blame or say that it was my fault.

GTG-26 | JL's Story | NYC 2016

Could you tell us the main point of your story and what you would like people to take away?

The main point of my story was just to give a broad view as to the inequality, and just to enlighten people on how women are so sexualized and there is really no need for them to be.  

I'd like other women to kind of capitalize on my story, although it's not specific. There are really certain aspects I'm sure every woman encounters, and I think men also need to take away aspects of this story as well.

Do you feel you contributed something to other young women?

I believe so. I believe that all these stories will hopefully spread from one person to the next, and really awaken our generation in a way that maybe each person can find a specific story they relate to and how that inspired them and made them want to participate.

GTG-25 | VLAD's Story | SPB 2016

Can you tell us the main point of your story and what you would like people to take away?

The main point of my story is the fact that it happened, and it is possible to live with it. The most important thing is to tell this story.

I want other people to understand that it doesn’t matter how the story ended. You should live, you should open up, and then, there is a chance to change something in your life.  

What did you enjoy about this project?

There are all kinds of stories. There are similarities among them, but they all are different. And, people should know all these stories.

Do you feel you contributed something to other young women?

I would like this story to be contributing to other women… I want other people to understand that the most important thing is to tell your story… It makes you feel much better.

GTG-24 | TS's Story | NYC 2016

What was the main point of your story?

I feel like my main point maybe had more to do with the bystander effect than what had really occurred… We can witness really awful things happening around us, and sometimes we just freeze and don't do anything about it, and that's a really peculiar phenomenon, but also, can make anyone who's the victim of violence...feel really isolated...

In the greater picture of gender-based violence, I think that we're kind of taught to shrug things off a lot and say, ‘Oh, walk it off. It could've been a lot worse.’ It's just the narrative that we're all forced to internalize. And I think it's okay to kind of explore those and to expect a better world, and expect better interactions, and expect to have the right to your body not infringed upon.

Why did you participate in Girl-talk-Girl?

I consider myself an advocate, and I really like finding different ways of being an advocate in different mediums.

Do you feel you contributed something to other young women?

I hope so… Everything we do is political… Even just by being ourselves out in the world, we give permission to other people who look similar and feel similarly, or do similar things, to be themselves as well… So, I hope that my story goes out there, and if somebody has experienced something similar, that there's that piece that either makes it okay for them to raise their voice, or just helps them not feel so isolated. Like, ‘Well, I was a victim of the bystander effect, but I know it wasn't just me. It wasn't this personal thing where nobody wanted to help me. It's just happening.’ So, I hope so.

GTG-23 | I’s Story | SPB 2015

GTG asked: What is the main message of your story? 

The main point of my story is that women should not keep silent and feel ashamed. It’s really not their fault that a man makes them suffer.

GTG asked: Why is it important to get our stories out?

It’s very useful to tell stories, not to keep things inside and it’s useful for others and for you too because it’s like a closure.

I think it’s important for people. First of all, it’s important because it makes them feel better. While scripting my own story, I realized that working with victims helped me to understand my aunt. I could never understand her and even criticized her [before]. 

GTG-22 | A’s Story | NYC 2015

GTG asked: What is your story about, and why did you tell it?  

My story is based on domestic violence that occurred in my house as a young woman growing up. I witnessed a lot of violence and trauma within my home and between my parents. My father was an alcoholic he was very abusive toward my mother. My mom was very…well she defended herself.

I have so many stories, but that story was really a story that I thought of when I first proposed to do the project; I thought I have a story about my parents. That’s the story that stood out cause a lot of women don’t actually fight back in domestic violence cause it’s toward men, and my mother got arrested… My dad called the police on my mom and I was shocked [because] my dad beat my mom so many times. They used to fight all the time; they used to be crazy. My mom never called the cops – never took my father to court. 

GTG-21 | J’s Story | NYC 2015

GTG asked: What would you like young women to take away?

My main message is you are not alone. You cannot overlook it; you can get over it. You are stronger than this situation… [You are] not going to forget it, it was something that was stolen from you, but it’s not going to define you. It’s not.

You are not the only one, and don’t be scared that monster that might live down the hall from you or down your block from you, he might not necessarily be your dad he might be another male person in your life, but it is OK. You will be OK, You will be OK. You will prevail over all of that. Don’t let that define you as an individual. It is fine for you to hurt, it is fine for you to cry, you are human, but don’t let it define you – go over it – you are so much more than that. 

GTG-20 | D’s Story | NYC 2015

GTG asked: What is the main message of your story? 

My story is about the things that happened to me when I was a child. I didn’t have the best childhood and I know that’s relatable to a lot of people. Basically what I was trying to give to people is that no matter what you go through you are not your past – you grow from your pain and you can grow from pain, that’s why toward the end of my story I made sure it was a positive ending just to prove that point that you are not your past or your pain, you grow from it.

GTG asked: What would you like young women to take away? 

I want women to feel like you can be strong as women – that your abuse is not you and you shouldn’t let your pain and your past make you who you are. I was looking at certain stories and they left on a bad note . . . they made me sad . . .  like they had no hope, that’s why I made sure in mine I gave them something positive from the whole thing.

Women we need to stick together and we need to be strong together. We need to learn how to be strong in all reality, some women don’t stick together and some will be like, “It’s her fault.” I have never thought it, but people did that to my mom.  I’ve been through it because the abuser disguises himself as the good guy all the time; it would hurt me when women would be like, “Maybe it’s her fault”. And women we should know each other because we are all one, and we need to stand up and stick up for each other. 

GTG-19 | D’s Story | SPB 2015

GTG asked: What would you like young women to take away? 

I would like that a girl or a woman or a teenager who experienced a similar event does not drive herself into a dark corner, be afraid of everything and everyone, meaning men altogether. Just think if such a thing happened you can’t go and change your past. There is anger that the most feminine thing is taken away from me but you shouldn’t be thinking about it all of the time, life continues and you should continue living.

Don’t focus on this story, try to move on. You’ll meet your person, your love and even if you tell him this story he won’t despise you for that…

Be stronger than this and try to carry on. Girl power, moral power, mental power.

GTG asked: What made you take part in GTG? 

I would have never thought I’d be telling my story to the whole world. It’s just when you want to speak out. I chose my rape story as the most painful one. I just can’t think of anything more painful. I told this story just the way I wanted to tell it. [It might not be clear in the story, but D spoke in her interview how this rape was perpetrated by a so-called “friend”].