My previous posts have all dealt with what exactly is thought of as violence against women, the statistics involved, links to organizations, celebrity anti-violence PSAs, etc. So? What can we do about it? This issue has been a social problem for so long that I fear there isn’t a simple, cut-and-dry method to resolve it. However, if we each think about it and talk to one another, perhaps we could find a way.
After working with the women’s centre on campus, thinking about the issue and doing research for this blog, I’ve started thinking about a few things…
- More public awareness is needed. My understanding is that some people think that violence against women is no longer an issue.
- Can we teach students about positive relationships? Can we teach them how to give consent and feel that it is okay to say NO to unsafe situations? Can we give them the tools so that if they or their loved ones are in a dangerous situation, they know what to do? It seems that, for lasting change, we need to work with our future leaders.
- We need to take a look at how our society views gender. What does it mean to be a man? What does it mean to be a woman? If, as a man, you don’t keep your girlfriend “in line”, does it mean you’re less masculine? In fact, what IS masculinity? Femininity?
- Can we help train the most vulnerable women in our society in self defense and provide tools for them to be empowered?
This is what I have been mulling over in my head these last few days and I’d like to know what you think. Are these achievable? How can they be improved?
