Violence Against Women in Our Society is an Epidemic
by Troy Westwood
I need to be careful with this, but it’s something I feel very strongly about. Today in the paper is another story of a vicious attack on a woman by a man and a sentence that is tragic. The father of the girl who was attacked is outraged by the sentence and where it is being served. I can’t imagine his emotions. I don’t know what I would do as a father in that situation.
Violence against women in our society is an epidemic.
It’s everywhere and occurring often. As a man, I say sorry to the women who are in anyway affected by violence. As a man, it is up to me to try to change the environment that exists for far too many of the women in society. Every single day I am around situations in the city where violence is a part of the equation of every day life for women. The presence of violence is abundant, the potential for violence around every corner. So many women being affected, so many moms, so many kids. The trickle down affect of violence and how it plays out in the world around us is immeasurable.
Violence against women is not a women’s issue. Women are the victims. Violence against women is a man’s issue, and it’s up to us as men to put an end to it. There are all kinds of reasons as to why a man might impose violence on a woman. None of the reasons are acceptable. It is something that should never happen. As a man when I see it happen, when I think it might happen, I must speak up. If we as men do not play an active role in declaring war on all forms of violence against women, and choose to sit quietly, then in our silence we are contributing to the problem.
Troy Westwood is known for many things and in no specific order, some of his accomplishments include a 17 year professional football career with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, in which he amassed an amazing total of 30 career team records and is the all-time leader in Blue Bomber scoring. Troy retired as the leader in playoff field goal percentage in CFL history.
He is currently working as a Case Manager at Family Connections, a family reunification program in Winnipeg along with his weekday morning role as Co-Host of the QX104’s Waking Crew.
Troy remains active in the community as a Board Member of Nova House, a women’s shelter and place of safety in Selkirk as well as serving on the Board of the Manitoba Children’s Museum.
I support your commitment, Troy. I am sure that beside your present work, you could achieve much by touring sports teams and drawing links between all the athletes who have been indicted for violence against women these past few years – plus all those who haven’t but ought to.
At the same time, I would like to suggest that the sentence “Violence against women is not a women’s issue. Women are the victims.” risks failing that commitment and that of your sisters.
In my experience, it is women who have made that violence an issue, so they own it. By doing so, they have moved beyond the status of victims and become leaders we men need to acknowledge and take guidance from. To assert that violence against women is “not a women’s issue” can be misinterpreted to strip them of this achievement and leadership role.
So let’s agree that violence against women is now every one’s issue and that the challenge is to get men to own up to their part in it, both as abusers for those who are, as complicitous for those who remain silent, and as part of an eventual solution for those, like you and me, who work at ending this unaccountability.