More Than A Magazine, A Movement
Rape culture refers to a society in which sexual violence and abuse against women are normalized through all pillars of culture: gender roles, media, education, etc. The misogynistic attitude that prevails in countries like the U.S. continues to normalize rape, excuse it and blame its victims.
With discriminatory policies still legal in many countries, 2.4 billion women worldwide are not afforded the same legal rights as men. We must petition our lawmakers, invest in grassroots activism, and put resources in the hands of feminist organizations.
When boys and men can see the necessary roles they play in standing up for equality, they will be engaged contributors in creating a world where all people are free to pursue their full potential.
Indeed, when we ask young boys about their definition of what it means to be a man, the responses are nearly always positive—caring, respectful, stands up for others. This tells us that our work to engage boys in society’s collective goal of healthy manhood is in large part about helping boys be the authentic, connected humans they want to be.
On Thursday, President Joe Biden signed the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act into law, which bans forced arbitration in workplace sexual assault and harassment cases and allows survivors to file lawsuits against perpetrators. It previously passed the Senate by unanimous consent in an unprecedented show of bipartisanship.
After decades of being silenced, survivors of sexual harassment and assault will finally have their day in court.
As in the case of many an abusive ex-partner, Putin has threateningly hovered and glowered over Ukraine since the country declared itself independent in 1991.
This playbook of bullying and domination is well known to those who study sexual and interpersonal violence, with parallels both implicit and explicit. For years, witnesses have stood on the sidelines while Putin raged and menaced.
The chilling “I’m Sorry” campaign showcases another side of abuse—the inevitable apology—via a medium which abusers cannot hide from their victims: public billboards. The PSA was curated by domestic violence nonprofits Safe in Harm’s Way Foundation Inc. and DomesticShelters.org who joined forces with two major advertising organizations to connect victims of abuse with the help they need.
“If you talk to survivors, there’s a lot of people who say, ‘I didn’t even realize I was being abused.’”
Nina Menkes’s documentary Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power is based on a lecture Menkes, a filmmaker herself, began giving about the representation of women in film. Brainwashed has a clear thesis: The visual language of film (and its “male gaze”) objectifies women characters, a phenomenon that is further linked to employment discrimination and sexual harassment in Hollywood and beyond. (Of course, media studies and gender studies programs have been actively attempting to challenge these long-held patriarchal structures for decades.)
It’s no suprise that Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, isn’t protecting women and people of color from virtual abuse.
In this excerpt from “The Care We Dream Of,” author Zena Sharman interviews intersex activist, visual artist and public health researcher Sean Saifa Wall on intersex justice.
“The crux of intersex justice is recognizing the harm that has befallen intersex individuals who are born with atypical bodies and have been harmed by the medical establishment. But it’s also about allowing people who are intersex to be in their bodies and to be free.”
Social media has allowed students attending universities across the U.S. to connect and share stories of harassment and sexual assault on campus—increasing awareness, protecting their peers and motivating universities to take action.
Students discuss how they want to see their school take action and how to dismantle the pervasive campus culture which condones predatory actions.
Hugh Hefner eventually became the darling of high society and the media. But it wasn’t luxury, sensuality or independence that Hefner was selling. He was only ever hawking old-fashioned misogyny. Now, we have irrefutable proof that Hefner’s empire was built on the horrific abuse of women.
A new documentary series on A&E, Secrets of Playboy, shows what feminists always knew: Hugh Hefner was a vile misogynist.