It is 2018, and people are still subjected to sexual harassment.

It is 2018, and 1 in 5 girls are still victims of rape, with men being 1 out of 10. It is 2018, and survivors are still called liars when they claim to have been raped. But the saddest of all: It is 2018, and we still have to protest all of this.

From all of the clips that I've seen from the Kavanaugh and Ford hearings, I am appalled, upset, heartbroken, and so many other emotions. But all at the same time, I'm not surprised by some of the comments that were made throughout the hearing.

Dr. Christine Blasey Ford decided to testify in front of the Senate and claim on national television in front of millions of viewers that Brett Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her in 1982.

This already highlights incredible strength and courage within Ford, because for any survivor to speak up on this issue, let alone on national television, is an incredibly challenging thing to do. For her to clearly state that it is her civic duty to tell the truth about that one night speaks volumes, and is empowering to women all over this country and the world.

But while Ford courageously spoke her truth, all she had gotten back were questions such as, "Are you sure? Are you 100% sure it was Brett Kavanaugh? Do you not remember any other details?" And like I said before, I'm not at all surprised, because this is the same routine that everyone follows when a survivor speaks up. Instead, one emotion to perfectly describe how I feel is disappointment.

Survivors of rape have always been denied or called liars when they choose to speak up about their assault. It's somehow their own fault because they were "asking for it," or they just can't fathom that the person who is being accused of being the attacker could do such a thing. And this is not right, and will just never be right. It doesn't matter what clothes they were wearing that day, how much makeup they had on, or any other silly little factor that society will find to place the blame on that survivor. It doesn't matter whether if the attacker is a stranger or a friend. Rape is rape, end of story.

But for the people who have tried to fight and speak out on these issues, we all must sound like a broken record at this point. Except that's not our fault, because it is 2018, and after years of pushing for change, teaching people about the importance of consent, establishing the #MeToo movement for survivors to share their stories and promote for more action to be taken through an online platform, there has been no action taken to ensure that attackers receive the proper punishment.

In 1991, Anita Hill did the exact thing as Dr. Ford, when she testified against similar accusations against Senator Clarence Thomas. And in return, she was asked some of the most ridiculous questions, where the members on the panel could not fathom that Thomas could do such a thing. And as a result, there was no action taken against Thomas. If that was only 27 years ago and this is still happening today, then what is there to say about our future?

What Dr. Ford was able to do is amazing and requires so much strength, because she is teaching all of the young girls watching her on television that she will not hesitate to speak out against her attacker. This is what we need to show the next generations to follow, but also, we need to teach them that blaming the victim is not okay. As Senator Kamala Harris said during the hearing, survivors find it difficult to report their assault, because of the trauma, shame, and fear of consequences they will face after reporting. And as a society, we need to fix this.

For anyone to come forward on such a traumatic event shows how strong that person is, because to relive the details from something that terrifying and to open up about it to others is a difficult thing to do. Ford, Hill, and so many other survivors have courageously taken the step to speak their truths, and instead of blaming them or questioning them, we should help and support them. We should comfort them and listen to them, because deep inside, they're most likely struggling to even get the words out.

Thank you Dr. Ford for speaking out on national television on something that our society needs to start working on. Thank you for being a role model for our generations to come, and for handling every question or verbal attack you received during that hearing with grace and calm composure. I believe you, I applaud you, and I hope that every woman does too.

If you're a survivor of sexual assault and struggling with the trauma and memories of abuse, an sexual attack, or an assault, please visit RAINN's website (https://www.rainn.org), or call 800-656-HOPE (4673).