According to a 2014 study published by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, the Netherlands had the fourth highest prevalence rate of physical and sexual violence against women in Europe, with 45% of women having experienced such violence, which is well above the European average of 33%. Amnesty International estimates that 100,000 people are raped in the Netherlands every year; and the OCW reported that, in 2019, 87% of the people that had contact with Slachtofferhulp Nederland as a result of sexual assault were women.
We at the Programma Team in Utopie wish to address this topic through a structured conversation. We want to invite you for dinner and a movie, where we hope we can gather round to discuss the many and surreptitious ways in which this issue manifests in our society and out lives. And perhaps, how we might have been complacent in perpetuating rape culture ourselves.
We chose to centre this discussion around a movie, which will hope to serve as a competent conversation starter. We chose “Promising Young Woman” (written and directed by Emerald Fennell), which was released last year and won over 100 awards, in no small part due to its sincerely brutal and artistically capable portrayal of sexual abuse and the impact it has on the lives of women.
Admission is free, although we suggest supporting Amnesty International’s “Ik Zeg JA!” campaign here: https://www.amnesty.nl/wat-we-doen/campagnes/letstalkaboutyes/ja-muur-actie
We hope to see you there!
TRIGGER WARNING for victims of sexual assault, suicide, and domestic violence. These topics are covered throughout the film, making Promising Young Woman a potentially tough watch for some viewers.
Are you a victim of sexual violence and looking for help? Please visit: https://www.centrumseksueelgeweld.nl/ or https://www.watkanmijhelpen.nl/ or call the Center for Sexual Violence at: 0800 0188.
Statistics Citations:
“Violence against women: an EU-wide survey” – European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (2014)
“Slachtoffers van zeden- en geweldsmisdrijven” – Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap
“Seksueel geweld in Nederland” – Amnesty International
