Fist Waving Feminism

more reasons to fear.

rabidcentipede:

Bachmann recently presented a Citizens United award to anti-feminist activist Phyllis Schlafly, who in 2007 argued that there could be no such thing as rape within marriage because, “by getting married, the woman has consented to sex, and I don’t think you can call it rape.”

Things that make you go Hmmm… Rape in the Congo edition…

• over 400,000 women are raped every year in Congo and that translates to about 1152 raped every day, 48 raped every hour and four raped every five minutes.

• Between January 2009 and the end of April, 749 women were treated for rape at hospitals supported by Caritas, an increase from years past.

• Of the women who reported to hospitals after being raped, 61 percent came from camps for people displaced by violence.

• Eighty percent of women reported the rape to the hospital at least a month after it happened.

• Most of the women (87 percent) were raped during the day. The rest were raped at night.

• To prosecute a rapist, a woman needs a medical certificate proving that a rape occurred, which requires an examination within two days. But many wait weeks or months. By that time, doctors say, it’s often difficult to find evidence that the rape occurred. Complicating matters, in North Kivu, a province of 800,000 people, there are only three practicing gynecologists.

The notions that rape is a possibility that women should plan for, or that abortions should not be provided to victims of rape or incest because some women might lie about an attack to get their insurance company to pay, reek of misogyny. Female voters need to pay closer attention to this rhetoric and be more vocal in challenging it, because ultimately it’s not the Kyls, DeGraafs and Turners who are losing control over their bodies. It’s them.

showmeyourzits:

- LZ Granderson

Things that make you go Hmmm… U.S. Military Edition

- The Department of Defense estimates that over 19,000 sexual assaults occurred in the military in 2010 alone. 

- From January of 2007 to July of 2010, nearly 300 sexual assault incidents were reported to VA Police.

- In 2007 Of more than 2,200 servicemen investigated for sexual assault, only 181 were prosecuted

- The Pentagon acknowledges that some 80 percent of rapes are never reported - making it the most under-documented crime in the military.

- The Pentagon office that collects the data estimates that only 10 percent to 20 percent of sexual assaults among members of the active duty military are reported

JESSICA VALENTI ON SLUTWALKS

“It’s a controversial name, which is in part why the organizers picked it. It’s also why many of the SlutWalk protesters are wearing so little (though some are sweatpants-clad, too). Thousands of women — and men — are demonstrating to fight the idea that what women wear, what they drink or how they behave can make them a target for rape. SlutWalks started with a local march organized by five women in Toronto and have gone viral, with events planned in more than 75 cities in countries from the United States and Canada to Sweden and South Africa. In just a few months, SlutWalks have become the most successful feminist action of the past 20 years.”

Rihanna “Man Down”

Rihanna’s new music video (TW)  for “Man Down” has been generating a bit of controversy due to the violence and subject matter of the video. In the video Rihanna kills her assailant who implicitly rapes her in an alley outside of a club. The Parents Television Council is launching a campaign to make sure the music video is no longer played on television because of its violent and pre calculated murder content.  Melissa Henson of the Parents Television Council also slammed the video. “Instead of telling victims they should seek help,” Henson says, “Rihanna released a music video that gives retaliation in the form of premeditated murder the imprimatur of acceptability.”

The statistics state that 15 of 16 rapists walk free if prosecuted for the crime. Is murder the answer? Of course it isn’t. The video has however brought to light very real situations. For instance, Rihanna dances with her assailant at the club, and very CLEARLY says no to his more sexual advances. In the very literal since Rihanna receives her own justice for the crimes committed against her in the video. After controversy for the video ensued Rihanna took to her twitter to explain “ “We’re strong innocent fun flirtatious vulnerable, and sometimes our innocence can cause us to be naive! We always think it could NEVER be us, but in reality, it can happen to ANY of us!” 

There are many reasons why the video is problematic, the most obvious one being the murder of Rihanna’s rapist. Also the video is being promoted by Rihanna’s camp as “A video to make young girls aware”. If this is the case then Rihanna has a really great opportunity to use the content of the video to speak up against victim blaming or even give a hotline number at the end to a sexual assault hotline where girls and women can get help if they have been victims of sexual assault.

In my opinion the major issue is that Rihanna is a woman. She is bringing to the mainstream a subject that isn’t discussed much in pop music. The violence in the video is against a man.

The PTC stated that if Chris Brown came out with a video where he shot a female the world would stop. FUCKING DUHH, but what does Chris Brown have to do with any of this controversy. This statement is offensive because by even bringing up Chris Brown they are attempting to lower Rihanna down and make her a victim again, then attack her with their argument.  Lets take a look at some of the popular rap songs out by men right now. In “down on me” 50 cent says in a verse “If I do not fit, Im gonna make it, Girl you can take it”. HEY!! PTC lets get this video off the air! or in E.T. Kanye West raps “Ima disrobe you them Ima probe you, See I abducted you so I tell you what to do.” How clearer can Kanye be saying I am going to sexually assault you. 

As a feminist I do not think that Rihanna is a very good role model for young girls. Her songs have been very problematic in my opinion. And I really do think that if she really wanted to get a message across with this video that she could have included MANY things other than a murder scene. But these sorts of issues are very real, in the United States and much worse in other countries as well. I do not think that the video should not get air time. I think it is real, and I think that it is good that it is generating a lot of heated discussion. 

I would like to know what your take on the video is?