Dear Men…Here Is How You Can Fight Gender-Based Violence
Photo by Thirdman on Pexel. By Eneojo Innocent Men and boys can be great allies in the race to stop gender-based violence. Ending the menace that is gender-based violence is a global priority and requires a collective effort. Here are 10 ways men and boys can fight gender-based violence. 1) Create A Safe, Violence and Trauma Free Environment for The Children: Avoid violence against intimate partners. This breaks the cycle of violence and shows children that violence is not okay. 2) Build Father-Child(Ren) Bond In Your Home: Genuinely caring for and being involved in how the family runs, the way chores are handled, the health and well-being of each member of the family, and the importance of bonding with spouses and children helps to reduce the rate of violence against women and girls and fosters a better emotional bond and balance. 3) Strip Away Toxic Masculinity And ‘Manliness’ Ideas: Fathers should help their sons dismiss the societal misconception that the context of masculinity and manliness is rooted in strength, dominance, and a lack of emotions. Doing this may change attitudes to seeking and receiving sexual relations, build a better expression of emotions and thus, reduce violence against women and children. 4) Learn to Listen: Men should teach boys to speak up and create a healthy listening atmosphere. People should be allowed to speak and be heard when they share a story detailing their abuse. Men should also encourage boys to speak up and act when girls and women are abused or disrespected. 5) Ask If You Can Help: As a man or a boy, if you suspect that a woman (or anyone else) close to you is being abused or has been sexually assaulted, gently ask if you can help…then ask how you can. 6) Understand and practice consent: Any activity of sexual nature carried out without the other party’s consent is considered sexual violence. Men and boys should recognize this and ensure that they know and understand why consent is vital. 7) Avoid Behaviors That Humiliates and Harms Women and Girls: Men and boys should avoid abusive behavior such as rape, assault, catcalling, sexism, bullying (online or in person), slut shaming, revenge porn, sex trafficking, etc. 8) Start A Conversation: Share your experience with sexual violence – when you can – to help dismantle the stigma, stereotype, and taboo associated with gender-based violence and sex conversions concerning men. 9) Become A Connected Ally: Make a conscious effort to recognize and speak out against all forms of sexual abuse, especially those that seem subtle: catcalling, making inappropriate and discriminatory sexual comments, giving unwanted sexual attention, and sharing sexist jokes demeaning women. Also, call out every institutionalized misogyny and erasure of women in society. 10) Mentor Others: Mentor and teach boys and young men how to be men in ways that don’t involve degrading or abusing girls and women (or anyone). Volunteer to work with gender violence prevention programs and participate actively in the 16 Days of Activism Campaign, including anti-sexist men’s programs. Lead by example. Ending gender-based violence benefits all of us.
Ending Violence Against Women, Queen Latifah’s U.N.I.T.Y and Closing Long Distances
Hey Roommates! This past week has been…extra! We almost wanted to hide under a rock for a few days. Of course we couldn’t find a rock that would serve us breakfast in bed, with strawberry dipped in chocolate and masseuses kneading all the knots and kinks out of our very weary shoulders and body. So…we worked! Thankfully, last week marked the start of the United Nations 16 Days of Activism; a series of activism-filled-days starting on November 25. As observed globally, the campaigns began with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and will end on December 10 with the commemoration of Human Rights Day. We joined in the campaign by demanding an end to violence against women and girls in our #OrangeTheWorld series. We will continue to lend our voices to the upholding ALL human rights for every race, gender, class or religion of people in the world. We also produced two new podcasts on The Review. Though we didn’t plan it, both reviews were around themes and people from the same era; 90s hip hop messaging. We reviewed Queen Latifah’s U.N.I.T.Y and Straight Outta Compton, the biopic about hip hop group, Niggas With Attitude…or as they are popularly known, N.W.A. Guess what? We finally finished our LONG DISTANCE series and received some major feedback about the what happened to the characters. Some people loved what happened to Adon and Jason while others were so pissed off, they wanted to explode. Yes! We are calling you out! You know yourself! How do you think the story should have ended? Share your views in the comments section and let us discuss. And oh! If you haven’t read the series, what are you waiting for? (Ramat, Remimah, be nice! Just drop the link hereinstead of being petty.) Anyway, that was our week. What do you want to see in the new week? Use the comment section to tell us! Thank you for being a part of our crazy! We wouldn’t rock if we didn’t have you! Read all we shared below and have yourself an uber fantastic week! · Here Comes the Bride (Part One, Two, Threeand Four) · Ending Violence Against Women · The Review: U.N.I.T.Y by Queen Latifah; · Why Do Men So Easily Harass Women? · Rape Cases; · Feigning Innocence; · I Was Attacked…And This is My Story; · Zireme’s Story: A Glimpse into Child Abuse and Marriage; · Good Christian People (Part Oneand Two); · Making Itoro a Woman; · The Review: Straight Outta Compton; · Do Sex Workers Deserve to be Abused? · Long Distance: The Finale. Best Regards, Ramatu Ada Ochekliye, Founder, Shades of Us
