Women's Issues

The language we use matters. This is because language frames the debate. Lakoff would be the first to say this. The very fact that we are calling the group of refugees seeking asylum at the border a "migrant caravan" instead of "asylum seekers" speaks to this very issue. The way we discuss women's issues is also a problem. Why are they called "women's issues" when the issue is not with women, but with male violence and toxic masculinity. Women are always at the centre of the discussion and men always seem to be left out. And when you're left out, you cannot be held accountable.

Until we all focus on the root of the problem — men as a group that comprises some sick, sicker, sickest individuals — girls and women will never be truly safe and able to enjoy their lives freely. The passive voice we use to discuss violence against women is harmful. The focus on crime properly belongs on men and the numbers of men who harm and destroy women.

"Calling gender violence a women's issue is part of the problem. It gives a lot of men an excuse not to pay attention." - Jackson Katz

This week, the UN announced that the most dangerous place for women is the home. Out of an estimated 87,000 women killed last year, some 50,000 — or 58% — were killed by partners or family members. This is not surprising. I am well aware that while the majority of intentional homicide victims are male and killed by strangers, women are far more likely to die at the hands of someone they know. Most likely, a male partner, friend or family member.

Women pay a high price for gender inequality: their lives. And they have a right to be outraged. They have a right to protest without being called "feminazis". It seems men have no idea what it is like to live as a woman. To not know which one of your male friends is charismatic on the outside but an entitled prick on the inside. Obviously, nobody can read minds, but for women, our bodies and well-being are at stake. At the same time, we have to be mature enough not to project the worst of men onto all men. Being cautiously optimistic is a balancing act; one that cannot ever be perfectly executed.