Do you know Angela Shelton?

According to a story written by Alison Bowen and published this week at Womens enews , Shelton is a filmmaker and activist who advocates women to speak out against sexual abuse. Her autobiography, “Finding Angela Shelton,” is being released on April 1 and to mark the occasion rallies will be held at Barnes and Nobles bookstores across the nation calling for women to report being sexually assaulted.

Shelton was raped as a teen by a stranger and repeatedly abused by her father. In her 2001 documentary “Searching for Angela Shelton,” the filmmaker interviewed 40 women with same name as her and learned that many of them had also been abused.

The discovery of widespread abuse didn’t really surprise her. What did stun her was that not one of the women she interviewed had reported the abuse.

Shelton was a major voice in a nationwide campaign last month that launched Report IT, a Web site designed to enable victims of abuse to report their stories anonymously and encourage them to report it to authorities.

Shelton partnered with a Chicago group called PAVE: Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment to launch the site, which was timed to the opening of a retrial for the case of Tory Bowen, who was banned from using the word “rape” in a Nebraska trial.

Bowen pressed charges against her alleged rapist but when she testified at his trial, the judge would not allow her to use the word, instructing her even to describe a sexual assault nurse examiner as a “sexual examiner.”

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and on April 29 Shelton and PAVE is encouraging others to show up at courthouses across the country and report abuse to the authorities.

It’s not easy telling someone your story. In April’s issue of “flaire for women” (which is due out Friday) I wrote about my ordeal as a teenager and how I was sexually assaulted by friend. It’s not easy telling your story, but I believe that we should not remain silent.

Like Shelton I feel that acknowledging abuse is the first step toward recovery.

“We should no longer remain silent, because your story is no longer your story,” Shelton says. “It’s everyone’s story.”

This past weekend I spoke at conference for the St. Louis Chapter of the Missouri Professional Communicators in Sunset Hills, Mo., which is an affiliate of the National Federation of Press Women.

It’s the first time I had ever spoke to a group of people — beside my son’s seventh grade class last year — about what I do for a living. It was interesting, not only to meet such fascinating women, but also to listen to the other speakers talk about “Bold Words in a Changing World.”

If you’ve been paying any attention to newspaper industry I’m sure you’ve noticed the changes that are being made. No longer are we just about getting the news in the next day, but rather working on a multi-platform level. Reporters no longer just write stories, but they also take photos and videos to enhance on-line content.

One of the things I talked about is how I have worked to reach a core audience of women. As most of you know beside write my blog, I write for “flaire for women.” I am passionate when it comes to writing on women’s subjects. I minored in women’s studies in college and I feel that sometimes women are shortchanged in the mainstream media. Rather the point of view of “real” women is overlooked.

I think that all women should be represented. As most of us know that if a woman in Hollywood weighs more than a toothpick the rag mags make fun of her. The sad part is that the rest of society picks up on it and they think its OK to make comments about the women they know and how they look.

One of the issues I talked about at the conference is building women’s self esteem. I said I’m no where near a size 2 so I talk about issues related to what I am going through. I also said I don’t make women who are small feel bad — so long as their not starving themselves then good for them. My message was simple: we as women should support one other rather than tear each another down.

Women are their own worst enemies. If we take weight out of the equation, most of us share similarities. We are mothers, wives, girlfriends, single, work, stay-at-home, and volunteers. We like to shop, cook, read, exercise and spend time with friends.

I have a challenge for all women out there. Next time you meet someone new try to find something in common with them. Remember that you can never judge a book by its cover and you just might be surprised at what’s inside.

Looking out my window at work and seeing the sun shine I think about the approach of spring. I am so ready to trade in my boots for a pedicure and strappy sandals.

I always enjoy changing up my wardrobe and putting new outfits together from my old ones. Occassionally I buy a new item or two, but this year I plan on buying more accessories.

You can have so much fun by adding something as simple as a belt, bag or bracelet. You can bring color to any outfit at far less the cost than buying a new one.

I’ve found that shopping my closet can be as much fun as heading to the mall. It’s all about mood. If I feel good about the way I look, then I am going to feel good about what I try on.

So the next time you think about heading out to find something to wear, why not look at what you’ve got and think outside the box. Closet shopping after all save’s you both time and money.

“I admit it’s tempting to wish for the perfect boss – the perfect parent – or the perfect outfit. But maybe the best any of us can do is not quit, play the hand we’ve been dealt, and accessorize what we’ve got.
-Carrie (Sex & the City)”