A Conversation about Domestic and Sexual Violence: Israeli and American Solutions

Yael is an Israeli filmmaker, writer, journalist, activist, survivor of sexual abuse, and founder and manager of Survivors of Sexual Assault Advocacy Group (SSVAG). Sherer became a household name following her documentary film “Dirty Laundry”, where she documented her civic lawsuit against her father, who sexually abused her as a child. In order to air that film, Sherer had to petition against the state for her right to testify publicly about her story, which turned her into an advocate for other survivors.

As Yael was working more closely with policy and lawmakers, she realized to what extent the voices of survivors are absent from these conversations. This is why she founded SSVAG, a civic organization of survivors, lobbying for policies and legislation to improve the State’s care for all sexual violence survivors. Guided by the Nothing About Us Without Us principle, SSVAG insists that policies affecting survivors cannot be designed without the direct participation of survivors.

The Lobby is funded solely by public support, and had unprecedented success: promoting a law that prohibits sex offenders from changing their names, promoting new Acute Rape Centers in hospitals throughout the country, regulating rape kits, creating guideline that requires hospitals to check for rape drugs, funding and training for medical staff that treat sexual violence victims and many more.