The ripple effects of sexual violence: Rowena Chiu's story of trauma and advocacy

Feb 14, 2024

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Want to learn the key to supporting survivors of sexual assault and making a real difference in their lives? Rowena Chiu shares her powerful insights and experiences, shedding light on the path to understanding and supporting survivors. Stay tuned to discover how you can be a part of the change and make a positive impact in the lives of survivors.

My special guest is Rowena Chiu

It's an absolute pleasure to introduce Rowena Chiu, an extraordinary survivor and advocate joining us today. Rowena's journey, from being an assistant to Miramax CEO Harvey Weinstein to bravely sharing her experience of sexual assault, is nothing short of inspiring. Her powerful voice has not only contributed to the #MeToo movement but has also sparked crucial conversations about power dynamics and influence in sexual assault cases. With a rich cultural heritage and a global perspective, Rowena brings a unique blend of insight and empathy to the table. Her unwavering commitment to advocating for survivors and fostering change makes her an invaluable voice in our ongoing dialogue about abuse. We're truly privileged to have her with us today.

Rowena Chiu worked as Assistant To Harvey Weinstein in 1998. After leaving the film industry, she has worked in the fields of management consulting (for Accenture in London, McKinsey & Company in Silicon Valley, and PricewaterhouseCoopers in Hong Kong) and international development (for the World Bank in Ethiopia, South Sudan & Washington DC). Rowena holds an MA in English Language & Literature from the University of Oxford, an MSc in International Management For China from the University of London, and an MBA from London Business School. She lives in Silicon Valley with her husband and four young children and is currently working on a memoir and a screenplay about her experiences in the film industry.

"Sit with a survivor. Hear their story, acknowledge their grief. Let them own that space. Give them the space to talk about it. Say all the things that Lori was gracious enough and kind enough to say just now. 'I believe you. I'm here for you. I will listen for as long as it takes for you to come out with your story. I will be that safe space for you.'" - Rowena Chiu

In this episode, you will be able to:

Explore effective strategies for advocating for sexual assault survivors.
Discover the importance of cultural sensitivity in addressing sexual assault.
Understand power dynamics and influence in sexual assault cases.
Uncover the impact of media portrayal on sexual assault survivors.
Learn how to create a trauma-informed and survivor-centric society.

Address with cultural sensitivity

Understanding cultural nuances can deeply impact how we approach conversations about sexual assault. For instance, in cultures that value collectivism like Rowena Chiu's Chinese background, the individualistic approach often adopted in the West of isolated support may not be as effective. Instead, broader family and social context need to be taken into account, which demands a healthy dose of cultural sensitivity when providing support or addressing potential impediments to speaking out.

The resources mentioned in this episode are:

Join the Patreon community called Difference Makers at www.patreon.com/aWorldofDifference to watch the exclusive video episode where Lori Adams-Brown and Rowena Chiu discuss organizations that Rowena supports and get a call to action to make a difference together.
Follow Rowena Chiu on social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram to stay updated on her speaking engagements, advocacy work, and upcoming memoir.
Reach out to Lori Adams-Brown on Twitter at @LoriAdBr or on Instagram at @LoriAdamsBrown for support, prayers, or to share your thoughts on the episode.
Show support for Rowena Chiu by attending her speaking engagements, especially if she is in your area, and by engaging with her content on social media.
Consider sitting with a survivor, hearing their story, acknowledging their grief, and offering support by saying, "I believe you, I support you, and I'll sit with you as long as it takes for you to tell your story."

The key moments in this episode are:

00:00:02 - Introduction and Therapy Benefits

00:01:00 - Sponsor Promotion and Trigger Warning

00:03:00 - Guest Introduction and Cultural Background

00:07:49 - Impact of Sexual Assault on Community and Family

00:11:18 - Rowena's Story: Assault, NDA, and 20 Years of Silence

00:14:15 - The Trauma of Speaking Out Publicly

00:15:10 - The Importance of Speaking Out

00:16:32 - Impact of Sharing Personal Story

00:19:34 - MeToo Movement's Impact on Workplace Conversation

00:24:43 - Centering Survivor Stories

00:28:24 - Women's identification with survivors

00:29:42 - Survivor representation in media

00:30:36 - Bringing generational change

00:33:01 - Speaking out against powerful figures

00:38:20 - Myths about survivor success

00:43:20 - The Neat Bow in Allyship

00:45:02 - Finding Rowena

00:46:43 - Sharing Your Story

00:48:16 - Finding Healing

00:49:40 - Supporting Rowena

Timestamped summary of this episode:

00:00:02 - Introduction and Therapy Benefits

Lori introduces the podcast and its sponsor, Betterhelp, emphasizing the benefits of therapy for personal growth and self-understanding, not just crisis intervention.

00:01:00 - Sponsor Promotion and Trigger Warning

Lori promotes the sponsor, Betterhelp, offering a discount for first-time users. She also provides a trigger warning for sensitive topics related to abuse and sexual assault.

00:03:00 - Guest Introduction and Cultural Background

Lori introduces the guest, Rowena Chiu, an abuse survivor and advocate. Rowena shares her cultural background as a British-born Chinese and discusses the significance of Lunar New Year and the challenges faced by abuse survivors in communal cultures.

00:07:49 - Impact of Sexual Assault on Community and Family

Rowena discusses the collective impact of sexual assault on survivors and their communities, emphasizing the communal nature of Chinese culture and the importance of addressing the broader impact on families and communities.

00:11:18 - Rowena's Story: Assault, NDA, and 20 Years of Silence

Rowena shares her personal experience of being sexually assaulted by Harvey Weinstein, reporting the assault, signing a nondisclosure agreement (NDA), and being silenced for 20 years. She highlights the complex reasons for her delayed decision to speak out publicly.

00:14:15 - The Trauma of Speaking Out Publicly

Rowena discusses the distinction between private and public trauma when speaking about a difficult experience on a wide platform, such as a TV show, compared to sharing with close friends and family.

00:15:10 - The Importance of Speaking Out

Rowena emphasizes the difficulty of speaking out, but also stresses the importance of doing so, particularly for those who have not yet shared their experiences with trusted individuals.

00:16:32 - Impact of Sharing Personal Story

Rowena reflects on the personal and professional impact of sharing her story, drawing inspiration from Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and highlighting the strength derived from fellow survivors.

00:19:34 - MeToo Movement's Impact on Workplace Conversation

Rowena discusses the MeToo movement's role in exposing power dynamics and inequalities in the workplace, emphasizing the need for societal change and true equity.

00:24:43 - Centering Survivor Stories

Rowena addresses the media's tendency to center the perpetrator in narratives, expressing the challenges in getting survivor stories featured and the need for a more survivor-centric approach in media and society.

00:28:24 - Women's identification with survivors

Rowena discusses the difficulty for women to identify with sexual assault survivors like Laura Madden, Rowena Chu, and Zelda Perkins, compared to high-profile figures like Jodie Cantor and Megan Tui. She highlights societal treatment and media depiction of survivors.

00:29:42 - Survivor representation in media

Rowena critiques the two-dimensional portrayal of survivors in media, emphasizing the need for a more comprehensive depiction. She points out the survivor-centric nature of "she said" but notes the focus on journalists rather than survivors.

00:30:36 - Bringing generational change

Rowena expresses the need for generational change in societal attitudes towards survivors. She acknowledges the difficulty of having conversations about sexual assault and the discomfort survivors bring, emphasizing the importance of creating a better world for future generations.

00:33:01 - Speaking out against powerful figures

Rowena addresses the challenges of speaking out against powerful individuals, such as pastors or influential figures in the entertainment industry. She encourages finding allies and emphasizes the impact of one's voice in inspiring others.

00:38:20 - Myths about survivor success

Rowena discusses common myths about survivor success, highlighting the importance of acknowledging and sitting with survivors' grief. She challenges the notion that personal success in career or family can compensate for the trauma experienced.

00:43:20 - The Neat Bow in Allyship

Rowena emphasizes that anyone can be an ally of the MeToo movement, and shares that sitting with a survivor, hearing their story, and acknowledging their grief is the most impactful way to support them.

00:45:02 - Finding Rowena

Rowena shares where people can find her on social media platforms, talks about her upcoming book, and discusses her speaking engagements in various settings to open up a dialogue about sexual assault and survivorship.

00:46:43 - Sharing Your Story

Lori acknowledges the difficulty of sharing abuse stories and offers love and support to listeners who may have been inspired by Rowena's journey of speaking out after years of silence.

00:48:16 - Finding Healing

Lori reassures listeners that they are not alone, encourages them to seek healing, and highlights the importance of sitting with survivors and supporting them through their journey of healing.

00:49:40 - Supporting Rowena

Lori urges listeners to support Rowena in her advocacy work, shares information about exclusive content on Patreon, and emphasizes the impact of being a part of the support network for survivors like Rowena.

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