"Still Not Asking For It"

"I don't want my child born into a society that accepts sexual violence."

This statement comes from the cover photo of the photography project, "Still Not Asking For It ". The project, created by Rory Banwell, aims to stop the propagation of rape culture. It features stunning black and white photos, some of which are shown below, that capture various individuals who are survivors, or friends and family of survivors, of sexual assault and domestic abuse.

Banwell created the project back in 2014 when she found out that she and her husband were expecting a baby girl. According to an interview with HuffPost, Banwell and her husband "both had a little freak out knowing that we would have to protect a teenage girl. Most people I know (including myself) have suffered some form of sexual or domestic violence in their lifetime... and it absolutely terrified me thinking that my daughter could go through the same thing."

But a teenage girl isn't the only person who needs to be protected. Men and women, of various races and age groups, may experience some form of sexual abuse or domestic violence. It's abhorrent to think that one in three girls and one in five boys will be sexually abused by before they are 18. One in three. One in five. Just think about that.

What's worse is that we live in a culture that doesn't want to talk about it. Sexual violence is taboo. Consent has to be taught. Survivors of sexual assault are shunned and silenced. This is not acceptable. We need to be open to talking about sexual assault and violence.

Though I couldn't post all of the photos here, I encourage you to go to visit the campaign's official Tumblr. Banwell has only just begun to start a dialogue and raise awareness for survivors of sexual assault and domestic abuse. The on-going project will hopefully soon include a wider array of races and genders. But until then, it's up to us all to help her and help everyone out there who could be that one in three or one in five.