Women protest in Egypt, 2013 You know how in fairy tales, fables or Mr Men books often the villain, or animal in the wrong gets a taste of their own medicine and that's how they learn the error of their ways? It is perhaps a more interesting twist in the plot, preferable to a scene in which the victim explains to the perpetrator why what they are doing is wrong. We like to see the victim turn hero and we like to see those in the wrong get their comeuppance. In real life however it doesn't always work like that. Anti-feminists, MRAs etc often use the phrase 'double standards' when a problem for women usually caused by men is turned on its head, thereby seemingly dismissing it without examining the details. What happens when women start to mimic male harassment?
For instance when Mumsnet Bloggers Network posted ourstory on World Cup related ads and domestic violence against women someone responded with a tweet that stated showing an image of a football team topless was double standards. Don't ask me how, at no point in the article did I discuss objectification and its links to domestic violence.
Because of this common remark I am often wary of any feminist project that involves using traditionally male techniques to bring down certain men. Such as suggestions that The Sun has a male Page 3 model. It's too simplistic, too obvious. When it does work though, for instance the image of male superheroes in female superheroposes? It's fantastic. Why does it work? Because it both highlights the ridiculousness of the images and gets people talking.
Because of this common remark I am often wary of any feminist project that involves using traditionally male techniques to bring down certain men. Such as suggestions that The Sun has a male Page 3 model. It's too simplistic, too obvious. When it does work though, for instance the image of male superheroes in female superheroposes? It's fantastic. Why does it work? Because it both highlights the ridiculousness of the images and gets people talking.
| In the spirit of turning something on its head in Egypt a new Twitter hashtag is trending. It translates roughly as "we will harass men" or "we will sexually harass men". | Can a hashtag at least get people to question why it has appeared? |
We know from the news and the recent Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict that sexual harassment and rape is used as a weapon, as a means of keeping people down. While Angelina Jolie and Hague drew attention to the subject, it seems that much of the media (David Starkey was unsurprisingly dismissive of "Angela Jolly" on BBC Radio 4's Today programme for getting involved in such things) preferred to focus on Hague hanging out with celebrities. The Daily Mail seemed to think the summit a chance for Hague to 'hobnob' with celebrities as "Iraq implodes and Russian tanks roll into Ukraine". You know, creating conflict. Where sexual violence is often rife.
It shows how much concern there is for women's safety, no? Maybe a Twitter hashtag from on the ground carries more weight. Recently in Egypt - it is not clear when - an apparent sexual assault and the stripping of a 19 year old woman in Tahrir Square was recorded and the graphic video* released on YouTube. Since the 2011 revolution in Egypt there have been many reports of sexual violence against women in Tahrir Square.
The tongue in cheek hashtag #wewillharassmen gives reasons for how men are asking for it by wearing tight jeans or neglecting to wear a veil. It has had opposition, with tweets from men that say the hashtaggers are "...disgusting. What a stinky women-orientated society". A woman who seems to share my misgivings about such techniques tweeted to say "I dislike this hashtag, you can't solve a problem with the same level of thinking that created it".
But no one is paying attention. Not even a Hollywood star or the British government seems to be able to draw attention to the problem of sexual violence. Can a hashtag at least get people to question why it has appeared? #WeWillSee...
Squeamish Kate
*The woman has asked for the video to be taken down, this links to a report and description of the video with clips.
It shows how much concern there is for women's safety, no? Maybe a Twitter hashtag from on the ground carries more weight. Recently in Egypt - it is not clear when - an apparent sexual assault and the stripping of a 19 year old woman in Tahrir Square was recorded and the graphic video* released on YouTube. Since the 2011 revolution in Egypt there have been many reports of sexual violence against women in Tahrir Square.
The tongue in cheek hashtag #wewillharassmen gives reasons for how men are asking for it by wearing tight jeans or neglecting to wear a veil. It has had opposition, with tweets from men that say the hashtaggers are "...disgusting. What a stinky women-orientated society". A woman who seems to share my misgivings about such techniques tweeted to say "I dislike this hashtag, you can't solve a problem with the same level of thinking that created it".
But no one is paying attention. Not even a Hollywood star or the British government seems to be able to draw attention to the problem of sexual violence. Can a hashtag at least get people to question why it has appeared? #WeWillSee...
Squeamish Kate
*The woman has asked for the video to be taken down, this links to a report and description of the video with clips.
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