Experts on violence against women have said Kamala Harris‘ recent advice on a podcast to survivors of sexual abuse might not go far enough.
On Sunday, the vice president and Democratic presidential nominee appeared on the popular Call Her Daddy podcast with Alex Cooper for a conversation about the issues facing women in the U.S. In the interview, Harris spoke directly about violence against women and shared a message with survivors: “You have done nothing wrong and don’t let anyone convince you have.”
“Part of the issue is that people don’t talk about it,” she said. “And I don’t mean the survivors, I mean nobody does, and the more that we let anything exist in the shadows, the more likely it is that people are suffering and suffering silently, and we need to talk about it.”
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a surprise appearance at the March for Reproductive Rights organized by Women’s March L.A. on April 15, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
Lisa Fontes, an academic and expert in abuse, told Newsweek, “Kamala Harris is 100 percent correct that speaking out about experiences of sexual violence is important in the struggle to combat it. Clearly, naming and speaking out about sexual harassment, sexual violence in the military, child sexual abuse, and sexual violence in dating relationships has led to much wider support for victims.”
“But speaking out is not enough,” Fontes said.
According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), 81 percent of women experience some form of sexual harassment and/or assault in their lifetime. One in five women experience an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime.
Harris has spoken often about sexual violence in her career, sharing the story that inspired her to become a prosecutor.
While at school, Harris’ close friend was experiencing sexual violence at the hands of her stepfather. Speaking about the incident with Cooper, Harris said, “It upset me so that someone where they should feel safe and protected, were being so horribly abused and violated.”
“I decided at a young age that I wanted to do the work of protecting vulnerable people.”
Harris advised people who may be suffering to “tell someone that you trust. Don’t quietly suffer.”
“It’s important that the work of calling out abuse isn’t shouldered by victims and survivors alone. Abusers need to be called out and held accountable at every level of society,” Emma Katz, an academic and expert in coercive control told Newsweek.
“We need so much more public education to combat myths around abuse,” Katz said. “We need these messages to reach more people: abuse is never the victim’s fault.”
While serving as the Attorney General of California, Harris worked to create policies to hold law enforcement accountable for addressing domestic violence cases effectively. Her initiatives often involved improving data collection and training for police officers on how to better handle cases involving violence against women.
She has consistently supported the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which was reauthorized in 2022 to strengthen legal protections and expand services for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The updated law includes measures to improve services for marginalized communities, such as LGBTQ+ individuals, tribal communities, and survivors in rural areas. It also introduces initiatives to combat cyberstalking and online harassment.
“Reducing the stigma helps people after they have suffered sexual violence. We need to intervene upstream,” Fontes said, highlighting the need for educational programs in schools and in media, to “counteract the toxic masculinity which allows some boys and men to put their own desires to dominate ahead of other’s needs for safety.”
“We must engage in prevention strategies–especially with boys and men, since men perpetrate the vast majority of sexual violence against other men and women, boys and girls. Homes are not safe. Schools are not safe. Marriage is not safe. Workplaces and the streets are not safe.”
“No amount of speaking out alone will make them safe. I hope the Harris administration would provide funding for prevention and recovery programs.”
Newsweek has reached out to the Harris campaign via email for comment.
In 2023, the White House launched the National Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, which focuses on prevention, supporting survivors, and holding offenders accountable. This plan includes funding for housing assistance for survivors, reforms in the military to address sexual assault, and a task force to tackle online abuse
Harris’ opponent, former President Donald Trump has been accused of sexual abuse and misconduct by multiple women over the years – allegations he denies. In May 2023, he was found liable for sexually abusing and defaming journalist E. Jean Carroll. At the time, Trump said he had “no idea” who Carroll was and called the verdict “a disgrace.”
The Republican presidential nominee recently described himself as the “protector” of women, at a rally in Pennsylvania.
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