"Even though I felt violated it took me about four years to call what happened to me rape."
Sexual assault is often portrayed as perpetrated by a stranger in a dark alleyway but for 80 per cent of victims this is not the case.
Micaela Rafael is just one of many women who have been sexually assaulted by someone known to them.
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"When I was 18 years old I was sexually assaulted by a boy I was dating at that time," she said.
"My experience didn't match the image of rape I had learnt from society so I didn't know what happened to me counted as sexual assault.
"I wish someone had told me when I was younger that rape isn't just perpetrated by a stranger in an alleyway and actually most cases of sexual assault are perpetrated by a person the victim knew."
Founding, Young Women against Sexual Violence, Ms Rafael and her co-founder Joey Lim created the organisation to "denormalise sexual assault".
The pair are set to guest speak at Safe Woman, Safe Family's assault prevention program, Keeping Us Safe.
The program will deliver age appropriate lessons in personal protection education and strategies to minimise susceptibility to gender-based violence, sexual assault, bullying and all forms of aggression.
"Sexual violence is so normalised that often times perpetrators and victims of sexual violence themselves don't even realise that what happened was sexual assault," Ms Rafael said.
"For this reason I choose to share my story with others so we can open up a conversation about this and recognise it for what it is."
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Joey Lim also spoke about her sexual assault in an effort to create a community between sexual assault survivors.
"When I was 18 I experienced rape through a guy friend - at the time I didn't know it was rape because of how the media portrayed it to be," she said.
"I wish I knew this could happen with a guy friend or an intimate partner and not just a stranger.
"I wish I knew the signs of abuse and the signs of what sexual violence was."
A year after sharing her story, Ms Lim said speaking out had empowered, liberated and healed her.
"I think it's so important to normalise sharing our stories and create a community to support each other."
Lifeline 13 13 14.
