Joëlle Kabisoso: Giving Black girls and women a platform to seek justice

BY SYDNEY WALCOTT

Being a victim of sexual assault is a trauma one will never forget, or get over, but if they do overcome what they have endured, it is not an easy process.

In 2013, Joëlle Kabisoso, then age 17, was the victim of a racially motivated hate crime when she was gang raped by five White boys, who then posted a video of the assault on X, formerly known as Twitter, with a racial caption. Unfortunately, Kabisoso did not receive the justice she deserved for the case because the assigned detective told her, “Maybe you shouldn’t drink too much.”

The injustice Kabioso experienced made her realize that the system needed changes, and she chose to act on this realization. Representing the city of Hamilton under the Black Youth Action Plan campaign, Violence 360, Kabiososo participated in the campaign to help highlight the lived experiences of many Black youths across Ontario, how they navigate different systems after experiencing violence, and whether there are any systems in place to provide support.

As a sexual assault survivor, Kabiososo talked about the lack of support she received when she reported her rape to the police, nor was she made aware of any additional services that would help her. The campaign highlighted Kabiososo’s experience to ensure that another youth does not endure what she and other youths endured.

The campaign happened in four cities across the province. These cities were: Toronto, Hamilton, Windsor, and Ottawa. The campaign brought together various MPs and city officials to hear the perspectives of Black youths and figure out what the next steps are to ensure Black youths will no longer be traumatized by the different systems in place.

In 2018, Kabiososo established Sisters in Sync following the success of the Violence 360 campaign, where she continues to advocate for equitable access to justice and services for Black girls and women through three different pillars.

The first pillar consists of encouraging self-esteem. The pillar comes from the campaign when it came to light that a lot of Black girls and women were not disclosing experiences, whether it be: sexual assault, bullying, workplace harassment, or microaggressions, because they felt no one would believe them, leading to the self-esteem pillar coming into place. The pillar is about instilling a level of self-esteem that makes them feel as if no matter where they go, they will receive adequate support.

There is an emphasis on the need to share their story so more people can be aware of what is going on. This will empower people to continue to talk and have a community leader to go to for the services and support they need if the police do not listen to them.

The second pillar involves advocacy, which involves shifting the way how the community and the system supports survivors. Through findings, Kabiososo noticed a lot of the work is being put on by girls and women, mainly Black girls, and women, to always be the ones to speak up on issues that affect them. This stems from allies and communities not being equipped to respond properly. That is why, through workshops, the focus is on centering the voices of Black girls and women while putting the responsibility on friends, relatives, and teachers to step in upon witnessing anything that negatively affects Black girls and women through the right training and knowledge.

The last pillar is about promoting a holistic life experience. A lot of the girls come from immigrant families and rarely get to experience positive things from their girlhood. Concerts and sleepovers are some things these girls miss out on, because of responsibilities at home. Through discussions and activities, this pillar gives Black girls the chance to experience their girlhood like how their white counterparts do. For the adults, Sisters in Sync recently established a program to help Black women move away from the hustle mentality. The program helps introduce them to different hobbies that allow Black women to exist outside of trauma and/or productivity.

During the pandemic, Kabisoso held various online workshops to provide girls and women with any support they needed. The workshops helped Kabiososo realize there was never something to highlight adolescent girls on their potential and achievements. Upon finding out there was an International Day of The Girl, the feedback they received, and realizing the lack of big-scale award celebrations for adolescent girls, The “You Go, Girl! Awards” was born.

“Sometimes on your journey, you just need somebody to tell you to keep going,” said Kabisoso.

The “You Go, Girls Awards” is about letting girls know from a young age they are capable of doing great things, and don’t have to wait until they’re older to accomplish what they want to do in life.

Set to be held on October 11^th, The International Day of the Girl, this year, the recipients, and winners will receive a $500 investment to help invest into a personal development opportunity, their business, or their education. They will also have access to events and opportunities throughout the year, a network of mentors who will provide support and knowledge and goodies provided by sponsors.

As a sexual assault survivor, Kabisoso encourages other survivors to speak and share their experience when they are comfortable doing so. Unfortunately, Black girls and women who are sexual assault survivors don’t receive representation at all, because their stories are never really captured.

Kabisoso first shared her story five years later and acknowledged that some may not share theirs until 10 to 20 years later. She shares there is power and healing when one shares their story, and how Sisters in Sync is here to listen and provide support.

“We cannot be forgotten, and we cannot be erased,” said Kabisoso.