It’s in our Here Women Talk family, and this is a Call to Action.

Last week one of our Here Women Talk members, 39-year-old Stacie DeSantis-Dorego from Rhode Island (pictured above), loving mother to three beautiful children, was stabbed to death by her boyfriend (details here).

Since launching Here Women Talk, an open forum where women can share whatever’s on their minds, I’ve been astounded by the number of women who have been abused—sexually, physically or emotionally–as adults or as children. It’s a quiet epidemic. And numerous others have friends or family who have been killed by abusers.

So in memory of Stacie, Here Women Talk member Elizabeth Cassidy, herself an abuse survivor, came to me with an idea. She suggested we ask everyone who has any experience with abuse, directly or indirectly, to please write a post or comment about it, anonymously if they wish, ending each post with a resource for help.

Elizabeth Cassidy

Elizabeth here. Yes, Kay is right. There is something empowering and healing about sharing your story. It helps others to share theirs. We give them courage and we let them know that they are not alone. We are not defined by what someone else did to us. I believe this community of women and men can make a difference. Let’s take abuse and violence and collectively say, “Not on my watch will I let this happen.” No one has the right to do this to another human being. Stacie and so many other women have lost their chance to be there for their children and to make a positive difference in our world.

In Stacie’s memory, if you’re a blogger, we encourage you to empower others by telling us your story, what you’re learned, and any resources you know. Or simply add your comments to this post. Thanks for sharing.

  • If you’re new to blogging, this link will tell you how to post (click here)
  • If you want, you can create a fake identity for your privacy
  • When you post your blog, please put it under this category: Under Justice & Help, please choose “Surviving Abuse”
  • Or, if you just want to share your comments on this blog, that would be great, too.