DAY 1 - WHERE WE STOP
READ
In June 2005, Kristin Mitchell was killed by her ex-boyfriend 20 days after her college graduation. Kristin’s family was faced with a huge decision: concentrate on healing themselves, or use their experience to help others who might face a similar situation. Besides detailing the tragedy, this book offers sound advice gained from domestic violence counselors, law enforcement professionals, and actual dating violence survivors. Had the Mitchells read a book like "When Dating Hurts", they are certain Kristin would be alive today. Parents should read it for the sake of their daughters, a son, or a sister, a niece, a friend, or a co-worker.
LISTEN
In this episode of The Rising Beyond podcast, Lis Hoyte talks about her goal to bring education on coercive control and healthy relationships into the school systems in the UK and then across the globe. We talk about the realities of when coercive control starts to show up in the relationships of our teens and tweens and some of the consequences of this. We talk about the challenges of getting schools on board with bringing this into the classroom. We also look at some benefits that might come from adding this curriculum to our schools, including introducing this information to the staff so that families dealing with coercive control and post-separation abuse can get better treatment and allowing children with coercively controlling parents the education to truly see and understand their situations.
FOLLOW
Glasgow Girls Club was set up in 2014 to open doors to opportunities and pathways for girls and young women facing adversity, so they can build brighter futures for themselves and their communities.
With support from the National Lottery, Robertson Trust, and GCVS, we piloted the city’s first Community Connector initiative for young women at risk of crisis. Our vision has always been rooted in the power of connected communities and innovative partnerships.
Today, that vision also means creating spaces where young women co-design projects and campaigns alongside architects, planners, and civic partners - shaping safer, fairer cities and influencing the decisions that matter.
As a social enterprise, we also sustain our work by developing media and digital tools that amplify voices, spark collaboration, and create employability opportunities for young women.
DAY 2 - FUCK THEM ALL
WATCH
THE ACTIVISTS FIGHTING FOR ABORTION ACCESS IN POLAND
"Since 2021, Poland has effectively outlawed abortion, meaning it is now only allowed in cases of rape or incest or if the pregnant woman’s life or health is at risk.
This powerful story shows the human cost of some of the most restrictive abortion rules in Europe. It focuses on the family of a woman who developed sepsis and died after her waters broke at 20 weeks.
The centre guides women navigate their limited legal options for terminating a pregnancy safely. In addition, we gained exclusive access inside a convent that operates a baby hatch - allowing mothers to anonymously leave their unwanted newborns, without fear of legal consequences."
LISTEN
THE INTERNATIONAL RISK PODCAST
The discussion explores the complex situation in Ukraine, with a focus on the risks of sexual violence, the dynamics of the conflict, the challenges in supporting and protecting survivors, and the wider implications for international law and human rights. The episode features Nerida Williams, Senior Humanitarian Communications Advisor for the International Planned Parenthood Federation, who has extensive experience responding to global crises and recently worked directly with Ukrainian refugees in Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Ukraine. Through her insights, the conversation aims to highlight the gendered dimensions of the war and the ongoing risks faced by women in Ukraine. The International Risk Podcast welcomes Williams as a knowledgeable guest to provide this perspective.
FOLLOW
Women Help Women is an international activist non-profit organization working on access to abortion. We are feminist activists, trained counselors, medical professionals, and researchers based across 4 continents who have a strong focus on supporting self-managed abortion, especially in places where abortion is restricted by laws, stigma and lack of access. Our projects include (a) a global telehealth service that provides information, support and abortion pills to women around the world and (b) partnerships with local feminist groups around the world to support increased access to abortion pills.
Feminist activism, human rights, reproductive justice and harm reduction are the foundations for our work to improve access and change social norms and the discourse around abortion.
DAY 3 - TINY MOVEMENTS
READ
GOODBY SWEET GIRL: A STORY OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SURVIVAL
In this brave and beautiful memoir, written with the raw honesty and devastating openness, Kelly Sundberg chronicles how her marriage devolved from a love story into a shocking tale of abuse—examining the tenderness and violence entwined in the relationship, why she endured years of physical and emotional pain, and how she eventually broke free.
WATCH
DRUGGED AND ABUSED: NO MORE SHAME
Caroline Darian, the daughter of Gisele and Dominique Pelicot, emerges as a fearless whistleblower exposing the hidden epidemic of drug-facilitated sexual assault in France. It follows her fight for justice, political action and a shift in shame from the victims to the perpetrators.
LISTEN
CHEMICAL CONTROL: DRUGGED AND RAPED BY MY HUSBAND
A British woman talks to reporter Jane Deith about how she confronted the unthinkable - that the man she thought loved her, had been secretly drugging and sexually assaulting her for years and her fight for justice. We also hear from her children on the devastating impact.
DAY 4 - LEAVING YELLOWSTONE
WATCH
AMERICAN MURDER: THE GABBY PETITO STORY
A young couple's cross-country van journey, documented on social media, ends in tragedy. A Netflix true-crime documentary charting the disappearance and murder of Gabby Petito, exposing how a seemingly picture-perfect relationship concealed patterns of coercive control and intimate partner violence.
LISTEN
FEMINIST HORROR - SEVENTH ROW PODCAST
A conversation exploring how modern horror reflects women’s inner worlds and systemic oppression, spotlighting films like Raw, Thelma, and Unsane that blend psychological realism with feminist critique.
FOLLOW
BTSADV (Non-Profit 501 C-3) programs play a crucial role in supporting individuals experiencing domestic violence by offering a lifeline. We provide understanding, resources, and empowerment. In the isolating darkness of abuse, these programs serve as beacons of hope.
DAY 5 - DON’T BE LATE, MYRA
READ
An illustrated children’s book, the first of its kind in Pakistan, that helps children and parents navigate the complex conversations around body boundaries, personal space and safety planning as it pertains to sexual abuse prevention.
LISTEN
Produced by UN Women Pakistan, the podcast “Gender Talks” provides a powerful platform to amplify the voices of individuals promoting dialogue necessary for sustainable change.
The first episode features guests Nilofar Bakhtiar, chairperson of the National Commission for the Status of Women in Pakistan, and Sharmeela Rassool, Country Representative for UN Women in Pakistan.
FOLLOW
Equality Now leads the way in driving the legal and systemic change needed to end violence and discrimination against all women and girls, everywhere in the world, to the benefit of all.
DAY 6 - MEASUREMENTS
WATCH
REAL-LIFE RED FLAGS: COERCIVE CONTROL EXPLAINED BY JESS PHILLIPS & ALICE LIVEING
Influencer and Women’s Aid ambassador Alice Liveing sits down with Jess Phillips, Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, to talk openly about coercive control - what it looks like, the red flags to watch out for.
LISTEN
In this series, journalist Marisa Bate explores the profound psychological impact of male violence against women, something 1 in 3 European women have experienced with powerful testimonies including from Gino Cecchettin, the father of an Italian femicide victim whose case sparked an outpouring of grief and anger.
FOLLOW
A group of 88 organisations in Italy, which manage 118 anti-violence centres and more than 60 shelters, listening to around 24 thousand women every year. They work closely with national and international institutions, including those drafting legislation on women's rights.
DAY 7 - SHE’S ASKING FOR IT
READ
THE WAY WE SURVIVE: NOTES ON RAPE CULTURE
Activist and journalist Catriona Morton, wants to change the narrative around survivors... this book offers up a cultural critique of rape culture in the UK, along with personal, intimate insights into how survivors live with and cope in the aftermath of such a violation. Exploring consent and education, the mental and physical health of survivors, the cultural shift, the impact of politics and governmental cuts and realities of dating and reclaiming sexuality in the aftermath of sexual violence.
WATCH
Zara McDermott investigates rape culture in schools in the UK, exploring how men and women are socialised differently. We learn how the education system in the UK does not do enough to support survivors of sexual violence in schools. The UK needs to change the way boys and girls are raised and how they see their roles in relationships- behaviour society views as protective and passionate from men, is often coercive and abusive.
LISTEN
MICHELE MEEK ‘CONSENT CULTURE AND TEEN FILMS: ADOLESCENT SEXUALITY IN US MOVIES’
This podcast from New Books Network offers an exploration into how adolescent sexuality is portrayed in American films, focusing on depictions of consent. This discussion is thought provoking, and is an enlightening listen for anybody who is interested in how consent is handled in media about teenagers.