Sofie_Karasek

Sofie Karasek

Sofie Karasek

Women's rights activist (born 1993)

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

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

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

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

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

  1. [1]
    Grinberg, Emanuella (12 February 2014). "Ending rape on campus: Activism takes several forms". CNN. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
  2. [2]
    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.
  3. [3]
    "Student Alumni". MIT AgeLab. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
  4. [4]
    "Students Stand Against Sexual Assault - The Hunting Ground". thehuntinggroundfilm.com. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
  5. [5]
    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.
  6. [6]
    Suddath, Clair (4 April 2014). "Changing How Colleges Deal With Rape". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
  7. [7]
    Felch, Jason (26 February 2014). "31 women accuse UC Berkeley of botching sexual assault investigations". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
  8. [8]
    Asimov, Nanette (2018-03-01). "Feds say UC Berkeley mishandled complaints in sexual harassment cases". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2018-08-28.
  9. [9]
    "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.
  10. [10]
    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.
  11. [11]
    "Mission & Vision". END RAPE ON CAMPUS. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
  12. [12]
    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.
  13. [13]
    "Sofie's passing the torch and is ready for the next fight". END RAPE ON CAMPUS. Retrieved 2018-08-28.
  14. [14]
    Miller, Hayley (2017-01-09). "#DearBetsy Campaign Implores Donald Trump's Education Pick To Protect Campus Rape Rules". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
  15. [15]
    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.
  16. [16]
    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.
  17. [17]
    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.
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