Sofie Karasek (born June 25, 1993) is an American advocate for women's rights and the fight against sexual assault. In 2013, she helped launch a national movement to hold universities accountable for sweeping sexual harm under the rug under Title IX, and was a key driver behind California's "Yes Means Yes" law.[1][2] She co-founded the advocacy organization called End Rape on Campus (EROC) in 2013.
Early life edit
Karasek grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts and attended Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School.[3] She also lived in Copenhagen, Denmark for several years during her childhood.
University of California, Berkeley edit
Karasek became a prominent advocate against campus sexual assault while she was a student at UC Berkeley.[4][5] After she was sexually assaulted in 2012 and her case was mishandled by the university, she connected with Annie Clark and Andrea Pino who were speaking out against similar cover-ups at UNC Chapel Hill.[6][7] She went on to file federal complaints against Berkeley under Title IX and the Clery Act and was instrumental in creating the 2013-2016 wave of the movement against campus rape.[1] She also organized others to file cases.[8]
In 2015, Karasek was featured in the documentary, The Hunting Ground.[9] She was on stage with Lady Gaga at the 2016 Academy Awards "Till It Happens To You" performance.[10]
End Rape on Campus edit
Karasek co-founded End Rape on Campus (EROC) in 2013.[11][12] During her time there, she was a key force in passing laws for survivors' rights across the country, including "Yes Means Yes" in California.[2] She served as the education director of EROC and she left the organization in 2017.[10][13] She also started the #DearBetsy campaign in January 2017.[14]
Additional advocacy edit
In February 2018, Karasek argued in the New York Times that America needs institutional responses to sexual harm that prioritize both justice and healing.[15] She's also written for The Guardian and Teen Vogue.[16][17]
References edit
- ^ a b Grinberg, Emanuella (12 February 2014). "Ending rape on campus: Activism takes several forms". CNN. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
- ^ a b Adler, Kayla Webley (2014-12-22). "Fighting Words: Meet the College Senior Behind California's Radical New Sexual-Assault Law". Marie Claire. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
- ^ "Student Alumni". MIT AgeLab. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
- ^ "Students Stand Against Sexual Assault - The Hunting Ground". thehuntinggroundfilm.com. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
- ^ Fuller, Thomas (24 March 2016). "Sexual Harassment Cases Tarnish Berkeley's Image as a Center of Social Activism". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
- ^ Suddath, Clair (4 April 2014). "Changing How Colleges Deal With Rape". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
- ^ Felch, Jason (26 February 2014). "31 women accuse UC Berkeley of botching sexual assault investigations". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
- ^ Asimov, Nanette (2018-03-01). "Feds say UC Berkeley mishandled complaints in sexual harassment cases". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2018-08-28.
- ^ "PA Commission for Women Added to PCAR, State System of Higher Education for Campus Sexual Assault Film Screening". Manufacturing Close-Up. 15 November 2015. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2018 – via HighBeam Research.
- ^ a b Itkowitz, Colby (2016-03-07). "There's a moving story behind this powerful photo of Biden and a sexual assault survivor at the Oscars". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
- ^ "Mission & Vision". END RAPE ON CAMPUS. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
- ^ Miller, G. Wayne (25 May 2018). "Inside Story: A sexual assault survivor sees a better way for justice and healing". Providence Journal. Retrieved 2018-08-28.
- ^ "Sofie's passing the torch and is ready for the next fight". END RAPE ON CAMPUS. Retrieved 2018-08-28.
- ^ Miller, Hayley (2017-01-09). "#DearBetsy Campaign Implores Donald Trump's Education Pick To Protect Campus Rape Rules". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
- ^ Karasek, Sofie (22 February 2018). "I'm a Campus Sexual Assault Activist. It's Time to Reimagine How We Punish Sex Crimes". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
- ^ Karasek, Sofie (2014-03-04). "America's universities: where you're all too likely to be sexually assaulted | Sofie Karasek". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
- ^ Karasek, Sofie (31 January 2017). "What a Sexual Assault Survivor Wants Trump's Pick for Education Secretary to Know". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 2018-08-28.