The cover of the ABC Handbook For Native Girls. Image from The Native American Women’s Health Education Resource Center
Independent journalist Mary Annette Pember reports on a new handbook from the Native American Women’s Health Education Resource Center that is directed at Native girls:
Charon Asetoyer, CEO of the Native American Women’s Health Education Resource Center, (NAWHERC) vividly recalls the afternoon a Native mother visited her office and asked her what she should say to her teen daughter when she gets raped. “She didn’t use the word “if,” she used the word “when,” because our women, especially young women have the highest rates of sexual assault of any ethnicity in the country,” Asetoyer said. According to data from the U.S. Department of Justice, Native American women are 2.5 times more likely to be sexually assaulted than other groups. “I can’t even put into words how awful hearing this made me feel,” Asetoyer recalls.Get the Story:
Mary Annette Pember: A strong culture of sharing and caring (Indian Country Today 3/2) Related Stories:
Mary Annette Pember: Sex trafficking survivors see little support (2/24)
Mary Annette Pember: Native family battles the addiction spirit (2/17)
Join the Conversation