THE VFA PIONEER HISTORIES PROJECT
Helen Aarli
June 6, 1926 – October 20, 2018
“I Learned How Empowering It Can Be to Work for Social Change and to Achieve It.” – Helen Aarli
Chicago Women’s Liberation Union. Helped to Found the Chicago Legal Action for Women – a group that became lay advocates for women who could not face the court scene alone. They also started a rape crisis line in Chicago. Aarli inspired Lee Phillips, who hosted a noon television show in Chicago, to make the film “The Rape of Paulette.”
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Photo 1. Helen in 2011 protesting Gov. Walker in Wisconsin. Photo 2. Helen holding the 1974 copy of the CWLU’s Lay Advocate Training Manual: A Guide to Assist Rape Victims.
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More About Helen:
- Obituary
- The Anti-Rape Movement in Chicago – by Helen Aarli, CWLU Herstory Project
- A conversation with Helen
- Oral history with Helen Aarli 1999, Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership
- Cited in Barbara Love’s Book – Feminists Who Changed America – page 1