“When things happen publicly, it just makes it a more universal problem that more people can relate to.”

Kerry Washington:

“Whether it’s about the Congo or about celebrities, domestic violence is a social illness that does not discriminate.” “We have to start talking more openly about this.”

Rapper Eve referred to Rihanna’s alleged assault and the shooting deaths of three members of Jennifer Hudson’s family last year, telling the audience:

“All these women are our sisters.”"I don’t believe it’s a cultural thing.” “In every community in the world, one out of three women are beaten or raped. I’ve seen justification for it in every community in the world. The climate will exist until we shift the mindset of violence against women being unacceptable and not normal. We are still living in a world where the victim — the woman — is blamed. It’s not a cultural thing. Violence against women keeps patriarchy and its oppression and domination in its place. It keeps a structure where men and women can’t live in their full selves. It’s in every social strata and in every section of society.”