There are many movements in Memphis working to combat sexual harassment and assault, but Memphis Against Sexual Harassment and Assault (MASHA) is bringing forth a new voice that hasn’t been heard. In 2015, 13 Memphis youth decided to come together and tackle the issue of sexual harassment and assault head on and began encouraging other youth to speak out against sexual violence.

“[MASHA] came out of the work of youth organizers, which means it comes out of the knowledge and insight of the experiences of youth in sexual harassment and assault,” Mahal Burr, Bridge Builders Community Action Coordinator,said.

White Station alum Caitlin Lloyd participated in MASHA during her senior year.

“I joined MASHA in order to strengthen my voice within this situation because I saw that there was a need in our community,” Lloyd said.

Lloyd believes her experience working with other youth who were just as passionate as she is pushed her to work through this uncharted territory.

As MASHA is the only youth-led movement in Memphis addressing this issue, the work that MASHA has done and is working towards is new and unique to the Memphis community. This work includes multiple Bridge Builder community actions and a Stand Up, Speak Out event, sponsored by Allstate, which was the kick-off for their sticker campaign. It allowed youth to learn about sexual harassment and assault from other youth who have had personal experiences with it.

To achieve their goal of empowering and educating youth to make change surrounding sexual harassment and assault, MASHA has employed a variety of tactics. They range from the creation of “bases,” which are clubs that address sexual harassment issues in schools, to social media campaigns and workshops.

“MASHA has definitely opened my eyes to sexual harassment,”Carrington Body(10)said.

Another one of MASHA’s goals is not only to educate but also to  insight systemic change through policy revisions that can create a lasting impact in the community.

The best way to stay involved with this movement is to follow MASHA on social media to get updates on events. They are currently planning an event with Le Bonheur’s “Be Proud! Be Responsible! Memphis!” program to address sexual health and sexual harassment among youth.

“This is something that all youth should become a part of in order to create change in their community,” Lloyd said. “Their voice needs to be heard!”