ABC Gold Coast: Melissa Maykin
)Women across Australia have come forward in recent weeks to tell their stories of sexual abuse, but for culturally diverse women speaking out and seeking support is not an easy endeavour.
Multicultural Families Organisation's Rana Al-Mekarry said many women did not know their rights in Australia.
"We have migrants, refugees, women who are here on tourist visas, working holiday visas, and the laws in each country are very different," she said.
The organisation has put together a sexual violence handbook to help culturally diverse women understand their rights.
My Body = My Consent outlines, in 10 different languages, what sexual violence and consent is and how women can access support and legal protection.
The languages are Arabic, Farsi, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Punjabi, Spanish, Thai and Vietnamese.
My Body = My Consent
The experiences of culturally diverse women were captured in focus groups held on the Gold Coast, which drove the language and content in the handbook.
"We're trying to send a strong message here to say — and this book is for men and women — if you're going to do anything to a woman's body, it has to be with her consent. Even just touching her on the shoulder," Ms Al-Mekarry said.
ABC Gold Coast: Melissa Maykin
)Ms Al-Mekarry said her clients had recounted 'horrific' acts of sexual violence to her.
"Sexual violence is used to humiliate women all around the world — used as a tool of war," she said.
"We've dealt with clients who've experienced horrific things overseas, and they don't know their rights.
ABC Gold Coast: Melissa Maykin
)'An equal world'
Kerrin Bradfield wants to live in a world where women — regardless of race, class and privilege — feel empowered to speak out against sexual violence.
"It shouldn't matter what language you speak, what religion you are, what sex you are — we should all be truly seen and treated as equals," Ms Bradfield said.
As the education and engagement co-ordinator with the Centre Against Sexual Violence, Ms Bradfield believes more people are calling it out.
"For a really long time, people have remained silent or have been silenced," she said.
'Tip of the iceberg'
While the community sector had mobilised to tackle sexual violence, the political will to deliver change was not there, Ms Bradfield said.
"Often, the tip of the iceberg is the people who have the most privilege, who are relatively safe in their communities and have a platform where they can speak out," she said.
ABC Gold Coast: Melissa Maykin
)"Change needs to happen in policy, funding and education. As we continue to push and get more women into leadership, hopefully, that change will trickle back down into communities."
Ms Bradfield said it was important for bystanders to challenge sexist jokes and comments.
"It all needs to be addressed before it escalates and supports a culture where the worst behaviours are also acceptable."
A global problem
Ms Bradfield said while the handbook was tailored to multicultural communities, Australia was not immune to the problem — and myths — of violence against women.
'Believe them'
Centre Against Sexual Violence counselling education manager Kellie Wilk said women would drive this societal change.
ABC Gold Coast: Melissa Maykin
)"When women — and it predominantly does happen to women — speak up, it's important that we stand beside them, we hear them, and we believe them.
"If a woman finds the courage to speak out, being believed plays a huge role in where she goes from there and what she chooses to do."
