WHAT WE DO
Empowering Catholic academic communities to create safer campuses and combat rape culture.
Dinah’s Voice is a student-focused, survivor-driven organization whose mission is to empower students on Catholic academic campuses against sexual violence within their communities.
We do this by engaging with students, offering support for survivors, and helping the communty improve upon the safety and well-being of the student body with the implementation of positive policies. We seek to provide resources to change a culture of sexual violence that is pervasive within academic environments.
STUDENT EMPOWERMENT
Students are our main focus and the very ones we want to empower to change the culture on their campuses, especially among their fellow peers.
ADMINISTRATIVE ENGAGEMENT
We want to help administrators create safer policies and protections for all students and the academic community.
COMMUNITY COOPERATION
An academic community includes the students, the staff, the local population, and the alumni. All these facets of the community should have a voice that is heard when it comes to improving campus safety and awareness.
CHURCH INVOLVEMENT
We want to help church leaders and organizers understand sexual violence and initiate conversations about it, in order to create a church culture where survivors feel safe coming forward.
CHANGING THE INSTITUTIONAL CULTURE
One step at a time
Institutional commitment to education and human dignity must be the starting point for any meaningful change to occur around the stigma of sexual violence in the survivors of these crimes.
EDUCATION
Students should be informed about their rights and options under Title IX and the Clery Act.
FAITH
Survivors have spiritual needs and should be welcomed by their pastors.
HUMAN DIGNITY
Victims of sexual violence should be treated with respect during investigations.
HUMAN SEXUALITY
Providing consent education does not contradict Catholic teachings on sexuality and should be provided.
IT’S NOT JUST A LEGAL MATTER
Basic Gospel values
Following legal directives and implementing proper response protocol to sexual violence, while extremely important, do not go far enough in promoting the Gospel values that Catholic institutions are founded on and espouse. We must collaborate to create communities that promote the flourishing of all and the protection of survivors of sexual violence. Silence in the face of these crimes will only wound.
INITIATIVE
Let people know that it’s ok to talk about it, it’s ok to report it, and it’s ok to come forward. Fear should never be a reason to not report.
PREVENTION
Provide students with the tools and resources they need to be aware of red flags in their relationships with others.
RESPECT DIGNITY
People are called to uphold the dignity of victims of sexual violence and support them charitably in the aftermath of an attack.
ADVOCACY FOR ALL
The Gospels call us to offer charity and aid to all those who need it. Communities should be encouraged to be advocates for safer campuses and students.
Latest Posts
The Day I Started Being Brave About Everything
Every Friday, my friend and I take turns watching each other’s children so the other can go to adoration. It was one year ago today that I was at her[…]
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The Anniversary Effect and Rape Trauma
Two years ago today (four a.m., Sunday, Dec. 11, 2016) I was raped by one of my best friends. To recap: Between October 2016 and May 2017, I got (in[…]
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Lessons from the Broken
Brokenness comes up again and again with survivors of trauma. We all think we’re broken at some point, and then we move on, suppress it, accept it, or fix it.[…]
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Contact us
Reach out to Dinah’s Voice at info@dinahsvoice.org or use the form below