JUSTAS: The Journey of Survivors – A New Video Podcast by Equality Now and the Thelma Fardin Foundation

Centered on experiences of sexual violence survivors in Latin America and the Caribbean, the series explores systemic barriers they face when seeking justice.

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA, June 20, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In Latin America and the Caribbean, survivors of sexual violence face enormous challenges in their pursuit of justice. Those who choose to report are often subjected to long, painful, and re-traumatizing processes. What can we learn from those who have gone through the system and the people working to change it?

JUSTAS, el camino de las sobrevivientes (JUSTAS, The Journey of Survivors) is a new Spanish-language video podcast co-produced by Equality Now and the Fundación Thelma Fardin. It opens space for this urgent conversation. Through honest, sensitive, and accessible dialogues, the series explores the many barriers survivors face and highlights ways to transform justice systems with a feminist, regional, and survivor-centered approach.

The conversations are hosted by Thelma Fardin, an Argentinian actress, activist, and survivor, and co-hosted by Sofía Quiroga, Advocacy Officer at Equality Now, and Mónica Bayá, Legal Advisor at Equality Now.

The podcast features voices from Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Uruguay. Survivors, judges, prosecutors, psychologists, and activists come together to address key topics, such as the challenges survivors face when reporting, sexual violence in digital spaces, intersectionality and discrimination, gender-sensitive judicial processes, access to justice for girls and adolescents, reparation pathways, and the role of collective action.

JUSTAS not only exposes the systemic barriers that survivors face, but also seeks to break the culture of silence that surrounds sexual violence in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The series features five episodes, the first of which is now available on Spotify and YouTube. New episodes will be released weekly.

A SHARED EFFORT TO AMPLIFY VOICES AND TRANSFORM JUSTICE

In 2018, Thelma Fardin publicly reported that she had been raped in 2009 by actor Juan Darthés while on tour with a television show. She was 16 years old at the time, and he was 45. Her testimony encouraged many other survivors to speak out. In the months that followed, official data showed a 53 percent increase in reports of child sexual abuse in Argentina.

In 2023, Equality Now began collaborating with Thelma Fardin on several advocacy initiatives. One of them was the submission of an amicus brief in her legal case in Brazil, urging the court to apply international human rights standards on consent in sexual violence cases. These standards include those established by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in the Brisa de Angulo v. Bolivia case, which Equality Now litigated together with Brisa and her legal team.

As part of this journey, Thelma created the Fundación Thelma Fardin, turning her personal experience into a collective tool for change. The foundation supports survivors, raises awareness about the impacts of sexual abuse, and advocates for a justice system that does not re-victimize those who report.
The idea for the podcast grew out of an ongoing dialogue between Thelma and Equality Now. Together, we decided to create a platform that would bring together the voices of those who confront, reflect on, and work to transform the justice system in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Many of the guests featured in JUSTAS are long-standing allies in Equality Now’s work to reform justice systems in the region. Several are also members of the Regional Access to Justice Network, an initiative launched by Equality Now in 2023. This network brings together legal professionals, justice system officials, and activists from across the region to exchange good practices, strengthen advocacy efforts, and promote legal reforms centered on survivors.

“We want to bring the voices of survivors into the heart of public conversations. Our goal is to highlight the barriers they face and support the development of good practices by connecting the perspectives of civil society and the justice system. JUSTAS is a way to expand the work we have been doing with justice system actors and share it with a wider audience. The podcast also shows that, although the guests come from different countries, they share common experiences, challenges, and demands. Every country in Latin America and the Caribbean has an outstanding debt when it comes to justice for survivors. This project is about making that urgency visible and helping to build the political will to change it”, Bárbara Jiménez-Santiago, Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, Equality Now.

This video podcast reflects Equality Now’s strategy to make legal advocacy more accessible. Through this format, we aim to turn international human rights standards into a shared and practical language for survivors, communities, and justice professionals pushing for meaningful change.

“Bringing together voices from across the region, inviting people who are not used to speaking on camera, and addressing such a complex issue in a way that resonates with a broad audience was a careful and collaborative effort. Thelma led the interviews with sensitivity and clarity. Her powerful voice helped this project connect with others and inspire action. Equality Now’s co-hosts, Sofía and Mónica, were also essential in shaping the conversations with an empathetic, feminist, and regional lens. For us, it is an honor to build this project alongside so many people who believe that a different kind of justice is possible and who offer their voices, time, and leadership to help make it real”, Tamara Rusansky, Communications Officer for Latin America and the Caribbean, Equality Now.

JUSTAS is the result of a sustained collaboration between two organizations with different profiles and audiences, but with a shared commitment to justice. We invite you to watch and listen to this podcast, which challenges, informs, and celebrates the collective force driving us toward a more just and healing system.

About Equality Now: Founded in 1992, Equality Now is an international human rights organization dedicated to protecting and promoting the rights of all women and girls worldwide. Its work is organized around four main program areas: Achieving Legal Equality, Ending Sexual Violence, Ending Harmful Practices, and Ending Sexual Exploitation, with a cross-cutting focus on addressing the unique challenges faced by adolescent girls.

Equality Now combines grassroots activism with legal advocacy at the international, regional, and national levels to achieve systemic change, and collaborates with local partners to ensure governments enact and enforce laws and policies that uphold women’s and girls’ rights.

For more details, go to www.equalitynow.org

About Fundación Thelma Fardin: At the Thelma Fardin Foundation, we work to raise awareness of and transform the issue of gender-based violence from its roots, understanding that its eradication requires a profound change in the social, political, and cultural fabric. Our mission is to raise society’s awareness about the different forms of gender-based violence, fostering a collective commitment to create spaces where respect and equality become guaranteed rights for everyone.

We firmly believe in the power of education, knowledge, and empathy as drivers of change. We develop awareness campaigns and educational programs to sensitize society about the importance of recognizing, preventing, and taking action against gender-based violence. Through these efforts, we aspire for each individual to become an active agent of change, promoting a safe, inclusive, and just environment.

Para más información visite www.fundacionthelmafardin.org

Tamara Rusansky
Equality Now
+55 21 99966-3828
trusansky@equalitynow.org
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Esto es JUSTAS con Thelma Fardín