The spreading #MeToo phenomenon has clarified some things that were hidden in plain sight. A whole system, a whole power structure has become very visible. As Jessica Valenti observed, it’s validating for women to hear that we’re not crazy and this shit is actually happening. On the other hand, this shit is actually happening.
Among the latest men facing accusations of harassment are multiple media figures who helped shape the narrative of the 2016 election, and of our politics all the years leading up to it. Some of them (Matt Taibbi, Glenn Thrush, the whole freaking Fox crew) were instrumental in crafting the image of Hillary Clinton as unlikable, full of sinister ambition, and untrustworthy.
Also facing multiple accusations (and in one case, over 200): some of Hollywood’s most prominent producers and directors. And I think of all the movies and TV episodes that romanticize a man refusing to take no for an answer. Or portray the man who violated someone’s boundaries as a “bumbler” who had no idea he was out of line. Or the ones where the woman who cries rape or sexual harassment always turns out to be lying. That narrative serves a purpose, and it’s being served up to us constantly.
In another arena, we have Roy Moore, accused of molesting teenage girls — and as a judge, he went remarkably easy on at least one accused molester. We have harassers being exposed in Congress and the state houses. These are the same men who make policy on reproductive rights, employment — and yes, sexual harassment.
Patriarchy is a self-perpetuating system. It dictates what stories we hear, what qualifies as news, and what the rules are in our lives. Which is how it creates the next generation of patriarchy — but only if we stop resisting.
As always, thanks to Besame, SandraLLAP, ramara, Crimson Quillfeather, and the rest of the amazing WOW crew. The good, the bad and the ugly this week:
Violence and Harassment
Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Around the world, women and allies are uniting against sexual assault, domestic violence, trafficking and forced marriage.
At age 16, Cyntoia Brown was a sex trafficking victim who killed a customer in what she contends was self-defense. She was tried and convicted as an adult, and will be eligible for parole at age 69.
French women have launched their own #MeToo movement, with the hashtag #BalanceTonPorc (“out your pig”). In Iceland, women politicians are speaking up about harassment. And in Sweden, there’s a new focus on harassment in the music business.
More than 400 professors worldwide signed a letter urging students to boycott the University of Rochester over its handling of harassment allegations against professor Florian Jaeger, including promoting him during an active harassment investigation.
Flight attendants are speaking up about harassment and groping.
Despite pushback, the Indonesian military still subjects female recruits to unscientific, invasive “virginity tests.”
In Yemen’s civil war, women may hold the key to peace.
After ongoing issues with sexual exploitation and abuse by UN peacekeepers, one proposed solution has been a DNA database of UN troops. The proposal remains controversial. Others have proposed that having more women among the troops will help curb abuses.
For Muslim women in the West, talking about sexual abuse and harassment puts them in a no-win position between Islamophobes and some of the the men of their own community.
Reproductive Rights
A federal court overturned a Texas ban on D&E (a common method for second-trimester abortions). The case is likely to go to the Supreme Court.
Reproductive rights are the key to women’s economic rights: control of whether and when she has children gives her control over other areas of her life.
Workplace Issues
“My son is not a personal problem:” how women veterans are treated as second-class citizens.
Women surgeons are viewed more negatively, and judged more harshly for the same mistakes, than male surgeons.
Lauren Duca on careers derailed by sexism: “There is much hand-wringing about the loss of talent represented by the downfall of such cultural juggernauts as Harvey Weinstein, Mark Halperin, Kevin Spacey, and Louis C.K. But we will never be able to quantify the number of victims who might have gone on to greatness if only their potential hadn’t been kneecapped by fear.”
Good News
In Honduras, an initiative called PoltikaH is putting improvements for women’s rights on the agenda for the upcoming election.
It’s a long shot, but Indigenous activist Maria de Jesus Patricio Martinez, known as Marichuy, is in the running to become the next President of Mexico.
Woman-led startup turns DV survivors into entreprenuers.
This is from two years ago, but it feels especially heartening today.
Do you know this woman’s story?
Find her at WOW2: Late November’s Women Trailblazers and Events in OUR History 2017 — www.dailykos.com/...