Thread by @StefSimanowitz

1/10. HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD IN 10 EASY STEPS

This week, the Danish Justice Minister called for new legislation in Denmark that recognises the simple fact that sex without consent is rape.

But this didn't happen by chance.

It resulted of some brilliant campaigning & advocacy

2/10. On Tuesday, rape survivors & activists took the stage in front of an invited audience of 200 journalists, politicians, judges & police officials for the launch of a "bombshell report" revealing Denmark’s “rape culture” & endemic impunity for
rapists. amnesty.org/en/latest/news…

3/10 The report - the culmination of months of research - identifies key barriers to justice for rape survivors as flawed laws as well as widespread harmful myths & gender stereotypes. Cultural change is needed but "legislation carries culture" so changing the law was the target.

4/10. The report launch was the peak of a campaign that had involved hundreds of activists & survivors. Behind the scenes, @amnestydk’s @Helle_Jac had numerous meetings with govt representatives & the #LetsTalkAboutYes
campaign brought thousands together.

https://twitter.com/AnnaMBlus/status/1093835981944442881

5/10. What made this campaign so powerful was that it was led by survivors: women who'd been raped & were telling their stories & appealing to Denmark's government, in the hope that other women will not have to experience the same trauma they went through.

https://twitter.com/ClemencyN/status/1103009132725047296

6/10. The issue of Denmark’s outdated & dangerous rape laws, pervasive rape culture & endemic impunity for rapists, not only dominated the headlines in Denmark. It was also picked up across international media from @AJENews to @nytimes @bbcnews & @FRANCE24

https://twitter.com/Makmid/status/1103236102754832386

7/10 But this isn’t just about Denmark.

Shockingly, only 8 out of 31 countries in Europe have laws that recognise sex without consent is rape. Sweden changed its last year & campaigns are building in Portugal, Switzerland, Slovenia, Greece & Spain. #IWD19 amnesty.org/en/latest/camp…

8/10. Changing laws is a vital first step, but much more needs to be done to end the culture of victim blaming & impunity reinforced by myths & stereotypes which pervade many societies: from playground to locker room, police station to witness stand. #IWD amnesty.org/en/latest/news…

9/10. The #LetsTalkAboutYes campaign - led by courageous women in partnership with Amnesty - has brought Denmark to the brink of an historic change. And it won't stop there. It will carry on in Denmark & across Europe. Today, on #IWD2019, we celebrate it.

https://twitter.com/TheElders/status/1104062979153252353

10/10. Tonight’s #BreakingNews: Danish Justice Minister, @SorenPape, has just announced that the Conservative Party will back a new consent-based rape law. Fantastic news which demonstrates how campaigning can indeed change the world. Happy #IWDay2019 #IWD

https://twitter.com/helle_jac/status/1104105931841945601?s=21

11/10. We are not there yet. We will still have to review the Bill that the government presents.

But we are close.

Massive thanks & respect to all those who made this possible: to the survivors who campaigned & shared their stories & my indefatigable colleagues (tagged below).

12/10. More good news.

Today #Denmark's prime minister, @larsloekke announced that his government will back consent-based rape legislation. We look forward to seeing the law & hope it will be drafted it in close consultation with survivors & @amnestydk

https://twitter.com/Helle_Jac/status/1105462244631040000

@threadreaderapp #unroll