Ventura County Women's Forum Collaborative

Ventura County Women's Forum Collaborative VCWFC is an all-volunteer non-profit organization with UN ECOSOC Consultative Status. Our first forum was held in Oct 2006.

We empower Ventura County Women from an intersectional perspective, engaging globally and acting locally.

The Cornell case…
09/28/2026

The Cornell case…

Consider this. What if I told you that the way our society tolerates dogs is simply unsustainable? For example, did you know:
•Dogs violently attack 1 in 3 people at least once in a person’s life. Many people suffer multiple attacks.
•Only ~2% of violent dogs face any reprimand whatsoever. Most roam freely to attack their next victim.
•Annually, dogs kill ~2,400 people (that we know of).
•And rather than hold dogs accountable, we constantly ask: what did you do to provoke the dog?

The data is clear: Dogs make people suffer a lifetime of trauma and death. How can we let this stand? We cannot. Now here’s the kicker. This article isn’t about dogs.

This is about men, r**e, and women—and all of the above data about “dogs” is actually about men. And if you haven’t already seen what’s being revealed about Cornell University in real time, proceed with caution. Let’s Address This.

Women Are Not Safe Around Men

A few months ago I wrote an article titled “Women Are Not Safe Around Men.” I received hundreds of messages from angry men, screaming “Not all men!” Then a lawsuit dropped this week. A woman and former Cornell student reports that seven men at Cornell University fraternity drugged and gang-r**ed her for hours—then called their friends to come r**e her too. Afterwards, she withdrew from Cornell.

The consequences for those seven men? Two were expelled. Five had to write a letter of apology. Zero faced criminal consequences.

The scariest part of all? This isn’t only a story about how seven men committed a horrific crime—but about how in addition to this revolting act, an entire social structure of men collaborated to absolve seven men of accountability.

What Happened at Cornell—And What Cornell Did About It
The facts are documented and damning.

Seven men allegedly drugged a woman, r**ed her for hours, and then sent a message boasting about “free pu**y” to their entire fraternity. And upon receiving that message, not a single man in that fraternity reported the crime to authorities. Not one called the police. Not one went to the administration. Not one chose to speak up for the woman being r**ed over loyalty to the fraternity he belonged to.

Seven men r**ed her. An entire fraternity received a message about it. Zero men reported it. The university did not pursue criminal charges. The District Attorney did not pursue criminal charges. Local law enforcement did not pursue criminal charges.

Men at every level of society failed her. They failed her that night. And they’ve failed her for the two years since.

And now, the victim is filing a lawsuit to defend her rights, because no one else will. I hope discovery pulls every email exchanged between the ra**sts, their parents, and university administration. I hope their apology essays are admitted into evidence. I hope every person who made the decision to let these men write letters instead of face consequences is named in the public record and held to account.

Speaking of, I looked up Cornell’s senior administration, and I was not surprised with what I found.

Who Made That Decision

Take a look at the 17 senior administration officials at Cornell University. Officials who undoubtedly played a decisive or leading role in determining the punishment for the seven men who are accused of committing r**e. You'll notice something stark.

Out of 17 senior administration officials at Cornell University, only 2 are women. This is not an accident. This is deliberate. This is what institutional power looks like when it is designed to protect itself.

And for those thinking that perhaps Cornell is slow to expel people, let me disabuse you of that notion. These are the same people who in 2024 suspended and removed four students from campus for peacefully protesting Israel’s genocide on Gaza.

Four students. Peaceful protest. Removed immediately.

In that same year, 2024, five students who repeatedly drugged and gang-r**ed a woman. Apology letters. Stayed on campus.

At Cornell University, it turns out that protesting genocide is a removable offense. But meanwhile, drugging, trafficking, and ra**ng a woman is a writing assignment. Beyond reprehensible does not begin to cover it. FYI you can contact Cornell President Kotlikoff at (607) 255-5201 or via email at [email protected] to express your opinions on his handling of this horrific event.

And here’s the truth—this problem is far worse than only Cornell University.

This Is Not Only a Cornell Problem. It Is a Systemic One.

Cornell is not an outlier. It is a mirror. And the breadth of stories are often buried. Consider that this victim suffered this horrific assault two years ago in 2024, and we’re only now hearing about it because she had the courage to speak up and file a lawsuit.

How many more cases are shrouded under layers of intimidation, bureaucracy, and lack of resources to hold ra**sts accountable?

According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, among college women, nine out of ten victims of sexual assault knew the person who sexually assaulted them. That is precisely what happened at Cornell. The woman who was r**ed was invited by a male friend—who then allegedly helped drug and r**e her.

Whether his actions were premeditated or spontaneous is irrelevant to the abuse he enabled, and the protection he’s since enjoyed.

Universities are meant to build up young people and prepare them for the future. But in the United States, instead, the four to five years that women spend in university are some of the most dangerous years of their lives. In a nationally representative survey of adults, 34.4% of female r**e victims were first r**ed between the ages of 18 and 24. These are the precise years most women spend on college campuses at institutions like Cornell—institutions that are demonstrating they will protect their male students over their female ones.

And this connects directly to the data I laid out in my previous piece. According to the Violence Policy Center’s landmark study When Men Murder Women, of the more than 2,400 females killed by males in 2023, 89.9% knew their killer. Nine out of ten. The threat is not the stranger. The threat is the man she trusted—the friend, the classmate, the fraternity brother who sent her an invitation.

Moreover, per RAINN, 98% of men who commit r**e will never spend a single day in prison. The two Cornell men who only faced expulsion demonstrate this injustice. The five others who only had to write apology letters are likewise part of that statistic. All seven are walking free without a care in the world. The criminal justice system was not designed to protect women from men. It is not broken, but instead, it was designed by men, run by men, and it has functioned precisely as designed. And that’s the problem.

A Word on the Men Who Said “Not All Men”

Take note, whenever women point out all men need to do more to stop the abuse of women, inevitably some men respond “NOT ALL MEN!” Let me be clear—those men are confessing and should be treated accordingly. Men who center themselves over the women suffering abuse are telling on themselves. Believe them.

Because you do not get a cookie for not being a ra**st. That is the floor of basic human decency—not an achievement, not a defense, and not a contribution to this conversation. The men who rush to announce their personal non-violence the moment that women cite the epidemic rate of violence men commit against women are doing exactly what this culture trained them to do: center themselves rather than confront the problem.

Here is the problem: not one man in that fraternity reported what was happening to a woman being drugged and r**ed down the hall. Not one. That is “not all men”—in practice. Male violence does not survive without male silence. Every man who watches and says nothing is not a neutral bystander. He is a participant in a system that protects predators at the direct expense of survivors.

Conclusion

I’ve said it before and it bears repeating. A civilization in which one in three women are sexually assaulted, in which 98% of ra**sts face no consequences, in which nine out of ten women murdered by men are killed by someone they trusted—that civilization is not stable. It is not healthy. It is not just. It is destroying itself.

Men of integrity should be humiliated by the fact that in our modern age, women are not safe around men. Period. Full stop. This is not my opinion. This is not a lazy generalization born of bias. It is a documented, data-driven, legally and empirically supported fact that our society has spent generations refusing to confront with the seriousness it demands.

Cornell is showing us—again and in real time—exactly what that refusal costs.

The question is whether men will let that humiliation consume us, or command us to act? Men, we built this. Which means men must dismantle it. The solutions exist. The data is clear. The moral case is overwhelming. The only question remaining is whether enough men will choose accountability over ego, structural change over comfort, and the full humanity of women over the privilege of never having to think about this at all.

It’s easy for men to separate ourselves from the men in that fraternity who received a text proclaiming “free pu**y.” We’d never stay silent if we got that text, right?

I need men to act with the urgency as if they got that text, because for all intents and purposes, the data shows that if you know at least three women in your life, at least one has suffered sexual assault. You’ve received that text, whether you want to admit it or not.

The question is, what are you going to do about it?

----
Read full article with links and receipts here: https://www.qasimrashid.com/p/cornell-university-systemic-sexual

Subscribe to support my human rights advocacy here: https://www.qasimrashid.com/subscribe

Photo Credit: Devin Kennedy https://www.threads.com/share/HKN5imt0O/

Join us for a timely conversation on The State of Affairs for Women in the USA: Women's Rights, Justice & Immigration, A...
09/25/2026

Join us for a timely conversation on

The State of Affairs for Women in the USA: Women's Rights, Justice & Immigration, AI & Technology, and the Global Backlash on Women's Rights.

A Congressional Update Featuring:

The Honorable Congresswoman Deborah Ross,
US Representative, North Carolina's Second Congressional District

The First Meeting of the US Women's Caucus for 2026-2027

Tuesday, October 6, 2026
3:30PM ET/12:30PM PST

Register at:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/aALX-lISRxmxaXG5aGYZsQ #/registration

SHE IS HOPE LA, a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is dedicated to helping single mothers turn hardship into hope through hous...
09/16/2026

SHE IS HOPE LA, a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is dedicated to helping single mothers turn hardship into hope through housing advocacy, workforce development, financial literacy, food security, wellness initiatives, education, and community support.

Please mark your calendars for their…

Annual Fall FUNdraiser Gala, “Dancing With Our Stars.”

Sunday, November 8, 2026
12:00 PM–3:00 PM
The Provence Room at Westlake Village Inn
31943 Agoura Road, Westlake Village, CA 91361

Guests will enjoy professional Latin dance instruction, lunch and dessert, a silent auction, networking, entertainment, and an opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the lives of single mothers and their children.

Community partners wishing to become further involved may also support the gala through sponsorship opportunities ranging from $250 to $25,000 or by contributing a product, service, experience, or gift basket to our silent auction.

www.sheishopela.org
SHE IS HOPE LA

SHE IS HOPE LA is a nonprofit organization providing assistance for single mothers, including emotional, physical, and financial tools and services to help single mothers support themselves and their child/children.

08/04/2026

Math is a social justice issue! This is a worthwhile opportunity to learn about it for free! Saturday, August 8, 1 pm PT. Check out the trailer and RSVP at the link below...

The UN's 2026 High Level Political Forum on the Sustainable Development Goals starts today - July 7-15!This will include...
07/06/2026

The UN's 2026 High Level Political Forum on the Sustainable Development Goals starts today - July 7-15!

This will include in depth reviews of Goals 6 (clean water and sanitation), 7 (affordable and clean energy), 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), 11 (sustainable cities and communities) and 17 (partnerships for the goals).

36 countries are expected to share their progress on implementing the SDGs through Voluntary National Review presentations. Not the US unfortunately...

That doesn't mean the issue aren't relevant to us! Check out the VIRTUAL side events from right here in VC...

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1inWXJT0iGo1x4gHOafGrDcyRgdWDIvk3/edit?gid=807041522 =807041522

Several of the virtual sessions will be focused on youth leadership and the environment!

Climate First: Replacing Oil & Gas - CFROG.org
Law Office of Vanessa Frank
Swap Meet Justice Coalition
805 UndocuFund
Coastal Keepers
Diversity Collective VC
Chalice Community Forum
Justice For All Ventura County
AAUW Camarillo Branch

Right here in Ventura County. Injustice is served, and we wonder why assault victims struggle with reporting…
06/24/2026

Right here in Ventura County. Injustice is served, and we wonder why assault victims struggle with reporting…

BREAKING NEWS: June 23 — Moorpark man gets less than maximum sentence in in**st case disputed by family of girl who later committed su***de

Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today that Stephen Vincent Chavez (DOB 01/17/85), of Moorpark, was sentenced to one year in Ventura County Jail and three years of felony probation for in**st and providing alcohol to his 18-year-old biological daughter. Chavez previously pled guilty on May 18 to felony in**st and misdemeanor providing alcohol to a minor. He also admitted he took advantage of a position of trust and that the victim was particularly vulnerable.
Prosecutors objected to the court’s sentence and requested the maximum sentence allowed by law of three years in state prison.
Several members of Makayla's family addressed the court during sentencing and provided emotional victim impact statements describing the lasting trauma caused by the defendant's
actions and the devastating loss of Makayla.
“The People requested the maximum three-year state prison sentence because the defendant exploited his position as a father, violated his daughter’s trust, supplied her with alcohol, and engaged in criminal conduct that forever altered the course of her life,” said Deputy District Attorney Tessa McCarty. “While we respect the court’s decision, we continue to believe a state
prison sentence was warranted under the facts of this case.”
In July 2025, Chavez's 18-year-old biological daughter, Makayla, was staying with him at his residence in Moorpark. After a day of drinking at a family gathering, Chavez purchased additional
alcohol for himself and his daughter to consume at home. Chavez then engaged in sexual in*******se with her. Makayla tragically took her own life in December 2025.
Prior to Chavez entering guilty pleas, District Attorney Nasarenko directed the office’s most experienced prosecutors to conduct a comprehensive review of whether additional charges, including r**e, could legally be filed. Investigators and prosecutors performed additional interviews, obtained and reviewed the results of new forensic testing and medical evaluations, and
carefully analyzed electronic evidence.
A team of ten prosecutors within the District Attorney’s Office reviewed the evidence and findings.
The office also consulted with experienced prosecutors and legal experts from another county.
“After this extensive review,” noted a news release, “all concluded that in**st was the only felony charge supported by the law, facts, and admissible evidence”
DA's Office submitted photo shows Stephen Chavez being handcuffed at a Ventura County Court Room on May 20th after his guilty plea.

On June 9 we had a Steering Committee Reorganization and Kick Off Meeting.  If you would like to join this powerful grou...
06/18/2026

On June 9 we had a Steering Committee Reorganization and Kick Off Meeting.

If you would like to join this powerful group of women in shaping the future of VCWFC, please contact us to join the next meeting in Ventura on July 29, 2026, at 5:30.

We will be discussing leadership roles and starting to create guidelines for raising local voices at United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) and other UN events with input from VCWFC founders from Ventura County Reproductive Rights Network (now Planned Parenthood Central Coast Action Fund) and Justice For All Ventura County.

So far we have representation from Society of Women Engineers - SWE, Law Office of Vanessa Frank’s Mariposa Advocacy/Youth Right to Rise, Diversity Collective VC, Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, PFLAG Ventura, and AAUW Camarillo Branch.

Check out our website to see if you’re a good match too!

06/16/2026

Please donate to this birthday fundraiser to help bring VC voices to the United Nations and cover our very minimal operating expenses. We’re all volunteers!

Thanks, Kim, for choosing us, and thanks to all who have donated already!

On June 5, we had our final panel presentation about the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women CSW70 at Chali...
06/16/2026

On June 5, we had our final panel presentation about the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women CSW70 at Chalice Community Forum with Justice For All Ventura County.

We will post the recording of it and our podcast as they become available. Each panel had different delegates and discussions!

The next morning, many of us saw each other again at Camarillo Pride! Including Mischa Haramia, our newest Steering Committee member, President of Ventura PFLAG!

06/06/2026

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New York, NY

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