‘We see you, we believe you’

An ideal situation is one where victims of domestic violence and sexual assault report the abuse and get help but there are also victims who opt to stay, keep silent, and endure. That’s the tough shell that the Northern Marianas Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence wants to crack.

Maisie B. Tenorio, however, says that the coalition, of which she is the executive director, doesn’t do it in a ham-handed manner. What they have is more of an open-handed offer of help.

Tenorio

Whether the victims of domestic violence and sexual assault report the matter to authorities or not, the coalition assures the community that help is available, the NMCADSV executive director said.

“Our mission here is to promote, nourish and sustain a collective movement against violence here in the CNMI as we want to create a CNMI where everybody feels safe,” she said.

“We see you and we believe you. …If there’s anything that we can do to help you heal and move past the trauma, please let us know,” she added.

In her many years of commitment and work with the coalition, Tenorio said that domestic violence and sexual assault happens every day, but many survivors do not report for whatever reason [and] we don’t judge them for that.

“What people don’t often understand is that, when you see a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault and you have never experienced that kind of trauma, we tend to look at the decision…and ask why they are staying. Sometimes they make decisions based on what they need in order to survive,” she added.

The coalition, a non-profit organization, has been in existence since March 21, 2007, and Tenorio is one of the founding members.

“We are not a direct service provider but a partner to our members like Karidat [Social Services] as they work on the ground directly with victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, human trafficking, stalking, etc. Another one of our members is Cornerstone Christian Church, which is a faith-based organization but they provide service to their congregation and other people,” she said.

A portion of the coalition’s work is public awareness and educating the community about all things that fall under that umbrella of violence and abuse. The coalition also work with the Department of Public Safety, Office of the Attorney General, Commonwealth Healthcare Corp., and Northern Marianas Protection and Advocacy Systems Inc. The U.S. Congress has also asked the coalition for comments on related legislation.

“We work with other agencies so that we can serve victims in the most effective way. We fill those spaces where we can build their capacity. …With DPS, we train them how to respond to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault such as ‘this is what victims ask for. They need compassion and to be believed.’ There have been laws where we helped change or update the law on sexual sentencing which…is a huge part of our response system,” Tenorio said.

“As the CNMI is so diverse, we do talk about cultural sensitivity. …We may not have all the answers and we don’t know all the cultures intimately but one thing that remains the same is that we all experience trauma, pain. So, we may not understand the cultural issues that came about that the person is experiencing but one can definitely empathize with the trauma and pain. [In] trainings, we point out that this is where you need to hone in on because everyone can relate to that,” she added.

According to Tenorio, the coalition spends a lot of time with the youth because children are not the future but the “now.” “They’re the ones who are going to effect change and we recognize and know the power of young people. We empower the kids with education and information, with the skill,” she said.

The coalition is not only working on Saipan but Rota and Tinian, too.

Her vision for the CNMI is where any one, male or female, who is a victim of abuse can come out and “we surround this person as a community and we lift them up. …I hope that when survivors see our work they will know that we have their best interests at heart.”

The coalition will be celebrating its 12th anniversary by recognizing the month of April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The proclamation signing ceremony will be on April 2 at 10am at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe and at the SAFE Jamboree on April 27 from 11am to 4pm, to be held at Garapan Central Park. For more inquiries, call (670)234-3878 and (670)898-3878.