Rape culture

And why we should care


Inspired by a recent post that explained Rape culture very well. Please read it.

We’re rape culture

I’ve been scared to walk on a darkly lit road maybe a handful of times in my life.

Every woman I know has to walk with full awareness of her surroundings, every single day all day long.

And this is considered “common sense”.

We’re violent.

Rape culture is not an isolated phenomenon

Violence is not just physical, but emotional and social and structural.

Right from the beginning, there have always been inequalities, and those with more, be it money, rights or power, always took away from those who had less.

There always has been subjugation

And war

Our treatment of women could be seen in the context of the overall violence that is human culture.

“Rape culture” is a (big) chapter in the story.

The threat of sexual violence is not limited to women. It’s anyone anytime anywhere who’s weaker. Physically, socially, structurally.

Ask any transgender person In India – or a gay man, strong, physically, but vulnerable, socially [TW: Rape].

Ask any young child, boy or girl , in a warzone.

Ask old people, young people, orphans, incarcerated people.

And sexual violence is not the only kind.

There’s the all pervasive physical violence of growing up in communities where children beating each other up is just boys being boys.

There’s the daily threat of violence hanging over beggars, the invalid, and even the strong pick-axe wielding laborer.

Violence from the police. From pay-masters, from care-takers, from local goons, mafia and just driver-bys who don’t like the sight of them.

There’s economic violence, of course, all about policies and embargoes and things too complex for me.

There’s structural violence, in healthcare, where a doctor is the boss. Where a nurse is hired for hard labor, not her brains. Where “you just do what I say, or go somewhere else” is the norm, even when it’s my health, my life, that’s being discussed.

In government’s policies which favor some kind of behavior over others. Which tell you that you’re being watched all the time, and that saying or doing something that displeases the powers that be will be costly.

Too depressing, this is. Let’s smile a bit.

http://www.reddit.com/user/popisju

Aren’t baby elephants the best? For a change, we’re protecting them now.


Things are better than ever in history.

Sort of.

Relative numbers- the rate, or ratio of a thing, as opposed to absolute number.

By relative numbers, there are far fewer deaths from wars. Far fewer violent crimes, and far fewer deaths from poverty.

By relative numbers, far fewer women are at risk of violence perpetrated by their employers.

By relative numbers, far fewer mothers die in childbirth.

There’s also outrage.

People are talking about rape. When someone says something ghastly, like Indian ministers regularly do, people are shocked, they demand apologies.

Perceptions about violence has changed. A hundred years ago, a public hanging would have been gleefully attended by hundreds. Today, we can barely look at photographs of these events. In fact, there aren’t all that many public hangings anymore.

People are asking for safe cities.

There are Gay Pride marches.

And Slutwalks.

We’re aghast when we hear about violence. Not the social media kind of aghast, but actually. It hurts us to see others’ hurt.

This is a luxury not afforded by most people who have lived before us.


Why talk about the whole story?

Definitely not to discredit the existence or enormity of rape culture.

But to underscore that it’s violence as human choice we are fighting, not an isolated behavior. And that admitting that rape culture is real is an important step in addressing the violence culture.

And to remember that some of the best ways to fight rape culture, as with any form of violence, may have no direct link to it. Like fighting for sanitation, or universal health care, income inequality education of women, child marriage, female infanticide, diversity at workplace, or organizing against governmental corruption.


But

What do you believe?

That we are improving as a species, or that we’re worsening?

We can’t objectively know, you see, we can only argue, believe and act.

Mostly act, I hope. Because that’s what fits my belief system.

That’s what helps me make sense of my world and gives me (one) reason.