2020 Keynote Presenter
Keynote Presentation
Wednesday, June 10, 2020 12:15 p.m.
Centering the Margins: Bringing Intersectionality to #MeToo
Since #MeToo went virals, countless survivors around the world shared their stories in solidarity. Since then, the discourse sparked by #MeToo is as strong as ever, but whose voices are being heard the most? This keynote will discuss the state of #MeToo today and how to use intersectionality to use the cultural flashpoint’s spotlight to refocus the most marginalized survivors.
Wagatwe Wanjuki is a writer, educator, and digital strategist who empowers survivors and their communities to better understand and prevent gender-based violence. As an award-winning anti-rape activist, she uses cultural criticism and analysis to challenge myths and raise awareness.
Inspired by her own experience with campus sexual assault, Wagatwe advocates for better systemic responses and prevention. As a founding co-organizer of ED ACT NOW, she helped spur the Obama administration creating Task Force to Protect Students Against Sexual Assault. Currently, Wagatwe lectures and leads workshops related to her activism with an intersectional lens.
Wagatwe firmly believes in the power of media to uphold and dismantle rape culture. When she isn’t critiquing media, she’s creating it, Wagatwe often writes about sexual violence at the intersections of race and gender. She’s written for outlets including Cosmopolitan, ESSENCE magazine, Teen Vogue, BuzzFeed News, and the New York Times. And contributed to texts including Intersections of Identity and Sexual Violence on Campus: Centering Minoritized Students’ Experiences.
She is currently based in the Los Angeles area, where she co-hosts the “I, Survivor” podcast on the Wondery network. You can also catch her as a guest on other radio, TV, and podcast shows; past appearances include MSNBC, NPR, and Democracy Now!
To learn more about Wagatwe’s work visit her website wagatwe.com or follow her on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter at @wagatwe.
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from her, learn from her, and engage with her at this year’s CAIA Conference!
Wagatwe will also host a workshop on Thursday, June 11 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.,
Using Social Media to End Rape Culture
With hashtags from #BlackLivesMatter to #Metoo, social media’s role in disrupting the status quo is indisputable. Yet platforms have also brought in a new era of online misogyny and rape culture, making engagement difficult for anti-rape initiatives—but not impossible. Learn about best practices for different platforms, the current digital landscape for anti-rape discourse, and how to create a plan that fits your needs and personal boundaries that will help you navigate the digital landscape with confidence.