I do not for a minute suggest there is not a problem with violence against women. However can we broaden the discussion out? Statically, according to the ONS, it's men that are far far more likely to be involved in random street violence.
The same source suggests that women one in three women will experience domestic abuse, for men it's one in four.
Demonising all men as violent abusers and rape apologists is unfair, and inhibits a full conversation about this important topic.
I posted on my local Facebook group (Littleborough) this week asking women and girls to just reply YES - no details required to this question "Ladies/Girls please post here if you have been, at any time, subjected to sexual harassment, inappropriate touching, male exposure (flashing) or worse. Just a yes will do. Here’s mine YES". In the 24 hours I left it open, over 400 women said YES. I think the problem would have more exposure if there was somewhere that women could report incidents, not to bring charges, but to highlight the problem. Most of the time when a man touches someone inappropriately on the street, or flashes, we just give them a mouthful and walk on. If we could report somewhere, and this could be easily arranged with the technology around today, the extent of the problem would be out in the open. People are aghast when a woman is raped or murdered but these are just an extension of what women put up with on a daily basis. We just don't report the "harmless stuff".
I do not for a minute suggest there is not a problem with violence against women. However can we broaden the discussion out? Statically, according to the ONS, it's men that are far far more likely to be involved in random street violence.
The same source suggests that women one in three women will experience domestic abuse, for men it's one in four.
Demonising all men as violent abusers and rape apologists is unfair, and inhibits a full conversation about this important topic.
I posted on my local Facebook group (Littleborough) this week asking women and girls to just reply YES - no details required to this question "Ladies/Girls please post here if you have been, at any time, subjected to sexual harassment, inappropriate touching, male exposure (flashing) or worse. Just a yes will do. Here’s mine YES". In the 24 hours I left it open, over 400 women said YES. I think the problem would have more exposure if there was somewhere that women could report incidents, not to bring charges, but to highlight the problem. Most of the time when a man touches someone inappropriately on the street, or flashes, we just give them a mouthful and walk on. If we could report somewhere, and this could be easily arranged with the technology around today, the extent of the problem would be out in the open. People are aghast when a woman is raped or murdered but these are just an extension of what women put up with on a daily basis. We just don't report the "harmless stuff".