Tea and Consent by Blue Seat Studios

Tea and Consent from Blue Seat Studios on Vimeo.

Warning, strong language in use -- but consent explained for the simple minds, with a cup of tea.

Words Speak Louder Than Actions: Jeff Perera at TEDxRyersonU

Tony Porter: A call to men

Jackson Katz: Violence against women—it's a men's issue

"Jackson Katz: Violence against women—it's a men's issue" can be found on TED Talks, and I encourage you to visit the site, not just watch the video here.  The comments to the video are especially interesting.

World Health Organization on Violence against women

The latest (Nov. 2014) update of WHO's fact sheet on "intimate partner and sexual violence against women" lists some disturbing global numbers.  I quote the key facts below, more info is available at the WHO site.

• Violence against women - particularly intimate partner violence and sexual violence against women - are major public health problems and violations of women's human rights.
• Recent global prevalence figures indicate that 35% of women worldwide have experienced either intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.
• On average, 30% of women who have been in a relationship report that they have experienced some form of physical or sexual violence by their partner.
• Globally, as many as 38% of murders of women are committed by an intimate partner.
• Violence can result in physical, mental, sexual, reproductive health and other health problems, and may increase vulnerability to HIV.
• Risk factors for being a perpetrator include low education, exposure to child maltreatment or witnessing violence in the family, harmful use of alcohol, attitudes accepting of violence and gender inequality.
• Risk factors for being a victim of intimate partner and sexual violence include low education, witnessing violence between parents, exposure to abuse during childhood and attitudes accepting violence and gender inequality.
• In high-income settings, school-based programmes to prevent relationship violence among young people (or dating violence) are supported by some evidence of effectiveness.
• In low-income settings, other primary prevention strategies, such as microfinance combined with gender equality training and community-based initiatives that address gender inequality and communication and relationship skills, hold promise.
• Situations of conflict, post conflict and displacement may exacerbate existing violence and present additional forms of violence against women. 

 

Join us, support us, help us eliminate violence against women

Date: May 21
Time: 11:30am
Where: Dundas Square, Toronto, ydsquare.ca
Sponsor: http://my.e2rm.com/TeamPage.aspx?teamID=590290

"Qui aime bien châtie bien" (Who loves well, punishes well)

"Grandville Cent Proverbes page69" by Granville (Jean-Ignace-Isidore Gérard) - H. Fournier Éditeur, Paris, 1845.. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.

This was acceptable very recently in human history -- and still is, in parts of the world.  In the foreground, a child is being beaten.  In the background, so is a woman.  Both are unacceptable.  And one does not lead to the other, despite what some might argue.

Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women

It wasn't until 1993, that the world recognized that violence against women, was part and parcel of the discrimination of women.  On December 20 of that year, the United Nations adopted the "The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women" -- a complimentary declaration to "The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women", which was instituted twelve years earlier, and ratified by 189 countries.  From the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, comes the most widely cited definition of violence against women:

Article 1

For the purposes of this Declaration, the term "violence against women" means any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.

Article 2

Violence against women shall be understood to encompass, but not be limited to, the following:

(a) Physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring in the family, including battering, sexual abuse of female children in the household, dowry-related violence, marital rape, female genital mutilation and other traditional practices harmful to women, non-spousal violence and violence related to exploitation;

(b) Physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring within the general community, including rape, sexual abuse, sexual harassment and intimidation at work, in educational institutions and elsewhere, trafficking in women and forced prostitution;

(c) Physical, sexual and psychological violence perpetrated or condoned by the State, wherever it occurs.

A few things come to mind after reading articles 1 & 2.

• 189 countries ratified this -- yet in great parts of the world, women suffer a consequence for their gender.  In some of the countries that have ratified the declaration, genital mutilation is still accepted; rape as a weapon of war still practiced; forced prostitution and trafficking in women and girls is still prevalent; and honour killings is still the norm.
• Women have made great progress in the developed countries of the world, but even here sexual harassment is still accepted as a sport.

This is only possible because it continues to be accepted by both men and women in society.

Why support the Walk a Mile event?

... because, "it could be your mother, your sister, your friend, your girlfriend, your wife, your coworker, or your daughter." From the Walk a Mile Toronto site:

2013 Team Highlights Video

Last year's walk (2013)

Here we are, all enthused before the walk.  We were a little exhausted after, couldn't walk another step in our heels, but were still very much enthused for the cause.

(Walk a Mile was postponed from the fall of 2014 to the spring of 2015.)

Join us on May 21, 2015

My team Wobblin' Walkers is participating in Walk A Mile In Her Shoes - a walk to end violence against women and girls.

Join us on May 21, 2015 12:00 PM at Yonge Dundas Square as we walk a mile in high-heels to raise awareness and funds for White Ribbon - the world's largest movement of men and boys working to end violence against women, promote gender equity and build a new vision of masculinity.

You can join my team by clicking on the link below:

http://my.e2rm.com/TeamPage.aspx?teamID=590290&langPref=en-CA

From our Team Page, click on the ‘Join My Team’ button to register and help us fundraise.