Although less than 1% of bills passed through Congress unanimously, in 2016, Amanda Nguyen’s bill did. The Sexual Assault Survivor’s Rights Act establishes statutory rights in the federal code for survivors of sexual assault and rape, including ensuring survivors have the right to receive a free forensic medical examination, and sexual assault evidence collection kit and that survivors are informed before the destruction of their kit. Nguyen’s activism began during her time as a Harvard undergraduate with dreams of becoming an astronaut. After being raped on campus, Nguyen became passionate about fighting for the rights of survivors. She realized that because she had filed her rape kit as a “Jane Doe,” she’d only have six months to take legal action before the state of Massachusetts destroyed all of the evidence. Since then, Nguyen’s activism has skyrocketed, and she’s been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, named a TIME Woman of the Year, addressed the United Nations, and been named to Forbes 30 under 30. Nguyen’s memoir, Saving Five, will be released later this year. While her initial dreams of becoming an astronaut were temporarily put on pause, Nguyen will become the first Vietnamese woman to go to space later this year.
