While COVID-19 has understandably dominated the news cycle over the past week, there is another major news event that has certainly been front of mind for many of us: the sentencing of Harvey Weinstein to 23 years in prison for his crimes. This marks the end of an extremely important and painful chapter for survivors of sexual violence, and his conviction is a victory for the many Silence Breakers who came forward to share their stories. At the same time, this case is also a reminder that convictions in the criminal justice system for rape and other crimes of sexual violence are all too rare.

In this moment, we stand with and recognize all survivors. Whether a survivor’s story is told on a national stage, on a personal level, or is never spoken of, that experience should be honored and that person should know they are not alone. While there is undoubtedly years of work to come in shifting the tide of sexual violence and creating a Culture of Respect in which all can flourish, we hope that the conviction and sentencing of Harvey Weinstein represents a turning point in that effort. We continue our fight. Onward.