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Survivor Activism in the Highlands

“When the actual zines came back… wow.”

That was the reaction of Lorna, who took part in a zine making workshop, hosted by Rape and Sexual Abuse Service Highland (RASASH) in Inverness, when she saw a printed copy of the zine she had helped to create.

Survivors of sexual violence from across the Highlands worked with members of RASASH and the Rape Crisis Scotland team in a collective to produce zines which reflect their own experiences as well as their solidarity and bond with one another.

The group reflected on the power of the zine making form in a page of the finished zine:

“Activism through art… finding solidarity through shared and lived experience… expressing the inexpressible… finding the words through pictures.”

Lorna said she found the experience empowering and validating. Survivors were supported with travel and accommodation costs to participate in the group, something Lorna said felt affirming in itself.

“Feeling included and part of something was even a good thing. Being helped with travel and accommodation costs… it felt like I was valid enough for that.”

Lorna said the group became “quite fired up” as the session went on and felt empowered by being able to “share our voices”.

People across the Highlands have been able to hear the group’s voices in GP surgeries, hairdressers and swimming pools across the region. Distributing copies of the zines to a variety of everyday locations was a key part of the group’s strategy to bring their message to people in an accessible and meaningful way.

Some of the participants of the initial workshops later went on to form a survivor activism group which hopes to delivers zine making sessions to other survivors to share the experience of being in a supportive, understanding and creative group.

The group is also working with the University of the Highlands and Islands and delivered zines to halls of residence and the student welfare office.

As part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence, RASASH organised a Reclaim the Night march in Inverness on 25 November.

Lorna, who spoke at the march, said that the Reclaim the Night march isn’t just about campaigning for women to feel safe at night. “It’s not just enough to feel safe at night, women have to be able to feel safe in life, with their families, in their whole environment.”

To raise money for RASASH, Lorna set off from the march and ran 112 miles overnight from Inverness to Thurso.

“It’s a long lonely run in the dark that made me think of the isolation that victims might feel as a result of experiencing sexual violence.

“I hope that any media coverage might help anyone who’s thinking about reporting If this helps just one person then it’s all worth it. It’s important that we can send a message that people shouldn’t be silenced anymore.”

“My message to someone who might be experiencing abuse or sexual violence or is recognising some red flags would be to run.

“You don’t have to stand for that treatment, no matter what your perpetrator says. It’s so important to seek help, reach out, to make that call to RASASH and to get the support you need to get out of a harmful situation.”

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You can support Lorna’s fundraiser for RASASH here.

To find out more about RASASH or to find support in the Highlands, visit their website here.

To read the survivor activism zines, visit our website here.