Make Violence Against Women a Priority
By Athena Affan
I’ve been thinking about the two recent events involving young women – the party in Pitt Meadows
And the assault and murder of the 15 year old young woman in Delta.
http://www.theprovince.com/sports/Girl+attacked+Delta+park+dies+overnight/3582153/story.html
I’ve looked at a couple of articles about both of these assaults and none of them really seem to apply much analysis around violence against women. There seems to be an overemphasis (distraction) about ‘teens and drugs’ kind of thing.
Both of these events are blatant symptoms of a society which is not making violence against women a priority. Perpetrators get the idea that they can get away with this – and they DO even where there are MANY people around. There were lots of people at the party and the Delta park was described as “busy” on a Saturday afternoon.
This disregard gives perpetrators additional power, increases women’s vulnerability and makes bystanders complacent, detached and party to these attacks on women.
Athena Affan
An activist and Stopping the Violence Counsellor at Battered Women’s Support Services
Athena Affan (left) with activists Cait and Parm at Battered Women’s Support Services presentation of Byron Hurt’s film Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes
You’re right – the media rarely provide context for cases involving violence against women. Shoot, they rarely notice that women & girls are tageted solely for being born female, nor do they express outrage. Bob Herbert of the NY Times has written a few really good pieces. We need to write letters to the editor, contact the writers to educate them, or write/blog about the issues ourselves. I try to keep track of these issues on my blog: http://mediamisses.wordpress.com