President of The Voices and Faces Project, the national non-profit she founded in 2003, Chicago-based writer and creative director Anne Ream brings her private sector experience and passion for social justice together in her work with the organization.

The Voices and Faces Project is a non-profit national survivor network created to give voice and face to rape survivors, providing a sense of solidarity and possibility to those who have lived through sexual violence, while raising awareness of how this human rights and public health issue impacts victims, families and communities. In the first six months after the launch of www.voicesandfaces.org, the website received over four million visitors. Hundreds of survivors told their stories to The Voices and Faces Project and revealed their identities for the first time. The stories provide an enlightening understanding of the complex issues surrounding sexual violence from a unique and seldom-heard perspective: that of the survivors themselves.

A longstanding advocate for women’s issues, Anne is also Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer for Girl360.net, an empowerment project for “tween” girls, and the Executive Producer of The Voices and Faces Project, Volume One, a compilation CD featuring today’s hottest indie rock acts (canasongsavetheworld.com). A former Senior Vice President and Group Creative Director at Leo Burnett USA, one of the country’s largest advertising agencies, Anne believes that compelling creative ideas play a critical role in social movements.

Anne’s essays and opinion pieces have appeared in numerous publications, including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times and Washingtonpost.com. A passionate lover of all things rock and roll, she is also a contributor to the Cambridge Companion to Bob Dylan (Cambridge University Press).

In 2006, Anne was named one of People Magazine’s “Heroes Among Us,” and in 2006-2007 she received the Susan Estrich Courage Award, the End Violence Against Women International Visionary Award, and Soroptomist International’s Woman Making a Difference Award. Anne was also named one of “Chicago’s Top 40” by the Chicago Tribune.

Anne serves on the advisory board of RAINN (the country’s largest anti-violence organization), is Co-Chair of the Leadership Committee for Rape Victim Advocates, and has consulted for the Congressional Commission investigating sexual violence at the Air Force Academy.

A finalist for the Dorothea Lange-Paul Taylor Prize for documentary excellence, Anne’s written articulation of sexual assault survivor stories is shaped by her own experience as a rape survivor and her partnership with award-winning documentary photographer Patricia Evans. It is her history as a writer, activist and survivor that makes Anne well suited to direct The Voices and Faces Project. Of this project, which started as a book and has grown into a national movement, Anne says, “I went in search of the stories I needed to hear in the wake of my own rape - stories of women and men who have survived trauma, and gone on to live rich and meaningful lives. Our communities, our policymakers and our health care providers need to hear the voices and see these faces of rape and abuse, responding with not only compassion, but also action. If more of us stand up and speak out about this human rights issue, I believe that we can change things.”

Anne is the 2008 recipient of the "International Making a Difference for Women Award” from Soroptimist International, a non-governmental organization at the United Nations that works to insure women's rights, human rights, peace, and international goodwill.

THE RESPONSE

“Anne Ream’s keynote address at the End Violence Against Women International Conference was an important reminder that when it comes to violence against women, the free and paid media shapes public opinion and drives atittudes in the courtroom. By engaging the audience in real-world examples, and focusing on actionable ways that advocates, law enforcement, and policymakers can better leverage the power of the media, she provided tools we can use to change the way we talk about violence against women in the public space. Anne was dynamic and engaging, and her analysis of the current media landscape was spot-on accurate and insightful. A wonderful speaker!” –
— Joanne Archambault, President, End Violence Against Women International

“Anne brought a clear, fresh, and much needed voice to our church on this very sensitive subject of sexual violence and injustice. Her message raised awareness for some, reached gently in a hurtful place for others, and removed the fear to speak out for a handful of others. Her warm, authentic, and very dynamic presence had our people “leaning in” and listening with open hearts! The impact is difficult to measure-let’s just say that for one hour on that Sunday morning the reality of sexual violence that, we believe, breaks the heart of God, reached in and broke the hearts of hundreds of people in our church. I pray that the impact is visible and seen in the way we live our lives and listen with more compassion to the survivors courageous enough to share their story.” –
— Dr. John Ireland, Ocean Hill Church, Santa Barbara, CA