Gisèle Pelicot’s unshakable resolve in waiving anonymity in her rape trial and declaring, “The shame is theirs (rapists) ” has shifted the public gaze squarely onto the accused. She has reclaimed the narrative of shame and made it clear that it is the abuser—not the abused—who should carry the weight of disgrace. Photo Credits: USA Today / Artist Credits - Villana Art While shame has long been patriarchy’s favorite weapon to perpetrate cycles of exploitation and silence, another related insidious tool is guilt. Guilt can be constructed to trap survivors in self-doubt for a long time, misplacing responsibility about who or what is causing the violence. For those who experience abuse, the internalized guilt and shame can be profoundly confusing. Survivors often grapple with questions like, "What did I do to deserve this?" or "Did I provoke this somehow?". This very topic became a focus of reflection during our most recent Parity Lab workshop, where we explored t...