January 19, 2017. That was the first time I stepped into a Women and Gender Studies class. And now I wonder why I have never truly been given an opportunity to take a class like this until now. I have been enrolled in this class for less than a week, but I already find myself thinking more critically about issues that I have not previously thought about before, at least to this extent. One issue that I cannot wrap my head around is physical and sexual abuse against women. I can't seem to understand why it even exists. But later in this article, I will attempt to find an answer. Additionally, there are plenty of issues that feminists focus on finding possible solutions to, too many to address all at once.
After getting a tiny taste of what Women and Gender Studies is all about, I frequently ask myself,
Why aren't we all feminists? How can someone not be a feminist? Why doesn't everyone want equality for all, regardless of gender, sexuality, race, or ethnicity?
And I can't seem to find the answer.
But when I came across the issue of sexual abuse and violence, I couldn't comprehend how someone could watch such horrible acts being committed and still not consider themselves feminists. Sexual abuse and violence against women are very prevalent issues in our world - they are both documented and popularized in the media, movies, and literature. In just this past week, I have seen more aftermath pictures of abused women than I can count. And what is even more heartbreaking than a woman being sexually abused, is a woman being sexually abused by her boyfriend, husband, or anyone that is close to her, holds a stronger relationship with her than just any stranger would.
I have never understood how one could “love” someone else and at the same time, physically or mentally abuse them. It makes no sense, as do so many things in our political and social worlds. Bell Hooks believes that there are many benefits to being a man, and the reason that some men decide not to support the feminist movement, equality for men and women, and an end to the separation between genders, is because they don’t want to lose those benefits. She introduces the idea that they find it easier to “passively support male domination even when they know in their minds and hearts that it is wrong” (hooks xiii). So is that the explanation behind physically abusing women? Being dominant and holding power and control over the woman's body? Because I can’t seem to find an answer that could come close to sensible, reasonable, or anything other than insane.
Here are some facts that might make you consider physical/sexual violence against women more of a serious issue than you might have previously thought: (Facts provided by the World Health Organization)
- About 1 in 3 women (35%) worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.
- Most of this violence is intimate partner violence. Worldwide, almost one third (30%) of women who have been in a relationship report that they have experienced some form of physical or sexual violence by their intimate partner.
- Globally, as many as 38% of murders of women are committed by a male intimate partner.
- Women who have been physically or sexually abused are 1.5 times more likely to have a sexually transmitted infection. They are also twice as likely to have an abortion in their future.
So, why does physical and sexual abuse exist? Why do we still have to fight towards putting an end to abuse? Is it because men have the desire to feel sexual entitlement or is it because they want to have full control of their relationship with a woman, or even her body? The world may never know, but there are things we can do attempt to put a stop to physical/sexual abuse against anyone, especially women.
The World Health Organization, in collaboration with partners, is:
*Undertaking interventions research to test and identify effective health sector interventions to address violence against women.
*Supporting countries’ to strengthen the health sector response to violence against women, including the implementation of WHO tools and guidelines.
*Collaborating with international agencies and organizations to reduce and eliminate violence globally.
All of us have the power to contribute to ending physical/sexual violence against women. We can educate others, speak out about the issue, and inform people about the effects physical and sexual violence have on our world, as well as the issues that deal with gender inequality, racial inequality, and others.This issue is too prevalent in our everyday lives not to take action against it. If you think that women are equal to men, you are highly mistaken. We should be, but we aren’t. Equal rights are for everybody. A life without physical/sexual abuse is for everybody. Feminism is for everybody.