My journey

My name is Isotta and I live in Malta, where I work for a local NGO which supports crime survivors. I was born in Australia and I grew up between Sydney and Northern Italy. Besides Australia and Italy, I have lived in several European countries, where I have experienced gender-based discrimination first-hand, as well as witnessed how ethnic and racial discrimination intensify the harm of sexual discrimination. Women in the Western world face a number of challenges, which include sexual objectification through the media and in their daily lives (at school, in the workplace, in their personal relationships), barriers to career advancement and gender-based violence. The majority of Victim Support Malta's clients are women who have suffered domestic violence or sexual assault. Some of the perpetrators are family members or friends, while others are strangers. When these women approach the authorities to report the crime they have suffered, they are often treated with scepticism and distrust. Their experiences are seldom underplayed, and occasionally ridiculed by many male police officers, who still constitute the majority of the police force. For this reason, many crimes go unreported, and those who are victimised receive little to no support from the authorities. The NGO I work for tries to fill the gaps. My vision is of a world where women do not have to worry about what they are wearing, how they look and behave for fear of being debased, humiliated, or subjected to violence. I am keen to connect with others who share this vision, and use digital platforms to raise awareness.