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ONE BILLION RISING. Will you give your support to women across the planet on 14 February?

(217 Posts)
whenim64 Sat 26-Jan-13 12:54:55

Starting a fresh thread to keep the momentum. We all know the horrifying accounts of women raped by gangs of men in India, and that rape is as common in all parts of the world and most cultures (in fact, no culture that is rape-free has been identified).

Please lend your support to this momentous plan for women to rise up and demand an end to violence at the hands of men, on 14 February.

One Billion Rising is publicised on he internet, and you can find what's happening near you by checking Facebook. It's growing daily, so please share this with your friends.

hummingbird Sun 27-Jan-13 10:04:46

Great post, as always, When. Interesting take in the Guardian on on Joanna Lumley's recent remarks:

www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/27/joanna-lumley-rape-advice

whenim64 Sun 27-Jan-13 09:56:42

Well, I am absolutely gob-smacked HUNTER!

I put my heart and soul into writing something meaningful to try and explain why women feel the need to rise up and campaign for safety and an end to the violence they have endured, on a thread that is dedicated to this issue, and all you are bothered about is whether a few women might be getting some subsidised exercise classes that you want to muscle in on! angry

I REST MY CASE!

Please don't bother me again. I can't be arsed, either!

dorsetpennt Sun 27-Jan-13 09:55:51

HUNTERTF is obviously an older gentleman with an older gentleman's views. His comments 'wearing skimpy clothes' reinforces that. HUNTERF you aren't giving your own sex much integrity by saying this - a skimply dressed young lady means that some poor male is driven to rape her. As far as I'm concerned even if she is in her bra and knickers NO is NO.Did you know that it is only in recent history that it became illegal for a man to rape his wife?
What these ladies are trying, without much success I'm afraid,is to say that they are trying to educate men/policemen/judges about their attitudes towards rape. In other words no woman is 'asking for it'.
Your little tale of the girl on the train is risible. Maybe in the past she had been attacked in some way by a man and this had made her very wary of being on her own. There have been times when I've walked home in the dusk and had someone walk very close behind me. It made me nervous. One nice chap realised this and said 'don't be afraid I'm going to walk across the road and go down the other side', which he did. How understanding of him and I thanked him. With all due respect educate yourself.

baubles Sun 27-Jan-13 09:54:38

Great post When

glassortwo Sun 27-Jan-13 09:52:14

When I went away to think about my reply to hunter and find you have answered so much better than I could have. smile

HUNTERF Sun 27-Jan-13 09:49:21

Hi wenim64

Ladies can have their ladies only classes as long as they pay in full for them.
If the centre wants to put on ladies only classes men only equivalent classes must be provided.
The problem is I do not think the centre will run aerobic classes and bums and tums classes for 3 or 4 men.
Men are council tax payers.

Frank

whenim64 Sun 27-Jan-13 09:38:15

HUNTER I wouldn't know where to begin, as your points baffle me, but I'll give it a shot.

Prevention of violence to women in the home, for me, hinges on the ability of humans to know where the boundaries are and treat each other respectfully. Surely that comes from how they are socialised and given guidance, learn how to empathise with one another, and how to manage very strong feelings. Men need to learn how to self-regulate as children, not assume entitlement or the right to invade women's space, when they need privacy and support from one another. Women can feel vulnerable on many levels, and men have the power to exploit this. A good man would never seize those opportunities, but respect that this is how it is.

Women grow up generally learning to nurture and support, and will naturally share or hand over power. Making yourself vulnerable and trusting a man not to take advantage of that is key. Unfortunately, until men learn to say 'no' to themselves, women end up getting hurt physically and emotionally.

Society has a responsibility to enable people to live responsible, respectful lives. By the time little boys are at school, they have learned to believe that they are stronger, louder and more daring than girls. Education has a large part to play in prevention of violence to women and children.

Your question, ideally, could have been 'how can men learn to control themselves so they don't harm women and children?' Sexual aggression, power and control, sense of entitlement - when men learn how to handle and control these aspects of themselves, women start to be safer in their homes.

Men who start using their fists to get control, make threats of violence to intimidate a women into capitulating, or rape her to vent anger and make themselves feel better, have to get themselves re-educated and removed from that environment whilst they do it. A man who genuinely regrets harming women or children will go and get help so he doesn't do it again. That might mean walking into a police station and saving her the trauma of reporting it. We are talking about criminal offences here, after all.

I get the impression you have not involved yourself in discussion of these issues, but there's a wealth of information available, and many men have taken on the responsibility to ensure boys in their families do not abuse their power or develop anti-women attitudes. Please do read the links that Butty provided on here. Examples of wonderful men who get what has gone wrong in society to make women and children vulnerable to attack and abuse, and who strive to help them heal.

By the way, why not accept the ladies only classes you refer to on another thread, and do what women have done for decades - leave them to it and sort something out for yourselves? Peace!

HUNTERF Sun 27-Jan-13 07:45:52

Hi whenim64

Can you tell me how you can prevent assaults against women in the home?. If an assault happens something can be done if there is evidence but you can not take action against a man because a few women think he is a potential rapist.
I can remember when I worked in London a lady complaining to the police about a man was following her to the train every evening and she wanted him to get a later train.
She ran and fell over and injured herself.
The man had never touched her and like her he wanted to get home as quickly as possible after he finished work.
He was in no way responsible for the woman falling over.
I also do remember young ladies in train carriages by themselves wearing very skimpy clotheng late in the evening.
Where as this does not give any man an excuse to rape them it is a hard fact of life that there are perverts aroung but it is a small minority of men.

Frank

baubles Sat 26-Jan-13 21:54:36

I believe that it is wholly unacceptable to hold the view that any woman somehow brings rape or other forms of sexual violence upon herself by the way she dresses or where she walks.

We have the right to dress as we like and to walk where we like. We should not feel it necessary to cover ourselves or to stay indoors after dark.

absent Sat 26-Jan-13 20:33:45

HUNTERF I am not trying to get at you but I have to say that you seem to me to be expressing a very naif – and mistaken – viewpoint. Of course you and your late wife took great care of your daughters, as I'm sure the rest of us have also done with our daughters. However, dressing sensibly no more prevents rape than dressing "provocatively" causes it. Rape is an act of violence and control – not sexual gratification. The female victim is not responsible in any way. Rape is not confined to dark bushes in the park at midnight. Please also be aware that the victims of rape are not only young girls but have been any age, including women in their nineties.

glassortwo Sat 26-Jan-13 20:32:13

hunter sorry I am not having a dig at you........ but does the way a girl dresses excuse some low life of taking advantage of her.

whenim64 Sat 26-Jan-13 20:31:00

By the way, the majority of rapes and sexual assaults against women and children happen in the family home, not in parks or on the streets.

whenim64 Sat 26-Jan-13 20:28:39

Please read Butty's links, HUNTER.

HUNTERF Sat 26-Jan-13 20:24:23

Hi whenim64

I totally agree that it is very wrong that women or men are set upon by gangs or asaulted.
Unfortunately if a woman on her own is set upon by a gang and nobody knows about it at that point in time nothing can be done to defend her.
That said my late wife and myself did as much as possible to make sure our daughters dressed sensibly and did not go into the park etc on their own at night and we gave them lifts to venues etc.
I think we were very lucky both our daughters found their first boy friends at school and we knew the parents well so we felt happy they were not going out with strangers.
They are now both married to them.

Frank

whenim64 Sat 26-Jan-13 20:21:14

There is a parallel discussion over on Mumsnet, if anyone is interested in their views?

baubles Sat 26-Jan-13 20:09:40

Thank you for those links Butty They are heart rending.

whenim64 Sat 26-Jan-13 19:46:43

HUNTER I urge you to read the links Butty has kindly posted, as they do explain why men can see some point in joining this world-wide protest against rape and violation of women and children. Every single man that lends his support can help to make the world a safer place for half of the world's population.

glassortwo Sat 26-Jan-13 19:44:45

butty I have just read your first link and it comes so close to home sad

Butty Sat 26-Jan-13 19:34:39

when - More support from men here

I actually meant to do this link. The previous link was one of many.

whenim64 Sat 26-Jan-13 19:24:43

As always, when reminded of what so many children have endured I am humbled by the bravery and selflessness of people like this wonderful man who strives to help. Thank you Butty

Butty Sat 26-Jan-13 19:18:53

HUNTERF

I don't understand, when you say you respect women, you would consider supporting this issue as a pointless exercise.

Butty Sat 26-Jan-13 19:09:48

.....and men can help Break the Chain too - my husband and sons have. here

Ariadne Sat 26-Jan-13 19:04:45

There is a Facebook page where you can share it, too.

moomin Sat 26-Jan-13 19:01:42

Well said absent

Ariadne Sat 26-Jan-13 18:59:57

And so did you, when. Thank you too! I agree with everything you say.