Women’s soccer is a passion of mine and while USA is my team, even I had to admit that at this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup Spain was a dominant force. Their team was among the best, if not the best, that I had watched in my time as a fan. I spent the cup in awe of their ability. This came at a time in which women’s sports are beginning to gain traction, more people than ever watched the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, the University of Nebraska’s women’s volleyball team broke the record for highest attendance at a women’s sporting event, and the World Cup itself was gaining viewership. This team was poised to make history and make history they did. In front of the eyes of the world they brought home Spain’s first ever Women’s World Cup Final victory. Unfortunately, the attention on their victory did not last.
During their celebrations, Vice President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Luis Rubiales kissed player Jenni Hermoso without her consent. Within the week Spanish soccer shut down. No longer were discussions of the women’s team about their victory, but instead about this kiss and the perpetrator who refuses to step down.
The public outcry has been somewhat unique compared to many incidents in women’s sports. In past instances the supporters of the women that were impacted by these events are majority women as well, especially within the realm of support from other athletes, but this time was different. Players from men’s and women’s teams across Spain made statements in open opposition to Rubiales continuing to hold his office. Athletes from both sections of Spanish soccer have pledged to refuse to play for Spain so long as Rubiales remains in office.
Are there instances that have played out in a similar manner in other settings? I’m curious if there has been similar support for a woman in this sort of situation outside of sports.
As a black woman, I grew up in a household that values and cherishes family and holds the family name to a high standard. Things that bring the family shame were never to be discussed with the public or with friends, and anything that happened amongst the family was to be resolved and never spoken on again. I place a strong emphasis on “never spoken on again,” and less emphasis on “resolved,” because many minority women, they are the ones shamed, and forced to move forward. This is especially true for women whose perpetrators are their older, male family members. Sometimes, the issue is simply brushed to the side, and their abusers are allowed to continue coming around. The reasoning behind this is not as simple as saying that families just don’t want to deal with the assaults. The importance of upholding the family name is incredibly prevalent amongst most minority families, and family shame, honor, and stigma are listed as some of the cultural reasons that there are barriers to women and children reporting their sexual abuse and abusers. The reputation of one’s family or that community is nine times out of ten placed at the forefront of the issue as opposed to bringing shame to the abuser, which seems like it would have the opposite effect in my opinion. I would much rather be slightly embarrassed that there is one single abuser in my family and be known for excommunicating them from the family than let people find out that not only did we enable the abuse, but we kept the abuser around after finding out they did anything to harm someone that I loved. I personally think your family name is soiled once people find out you are enabling something as disgusting as sexual assault or any kind of abuse. There are also many deeply ingrained stigmas and stereotypes pushed onto minority communities that hold plenty of women back from reporting their abuse. For example, black women are stereotyped as “fast,” and are apparently more likely to consent to sexual activity at a young age than others. First of all, you cannot consent to anything as a child. Secondly, I believe a lot of the black community is responsible for enabling and continuing on this idea that young black girls are “fast,” or “too grown.” Black mothers are very quick to tell their sons to “stay away from them fast little girls.” Why are you, as a black woman, helping perpetuate the idea that black women need less protection from predators and are more sexually advanced than their white peers? I can’t write this without bringing up the ever so famous “go cover-up, family is coming over.” When has it ever been okay to feel like your child needs to cover up their legs or midsection because their own male family is on the way to spend time with them? It’s not okay, but it is genuinely ingrained in the black community. If I move away from the black household and focus on the Middle Eastern or Asian household, especially the more traditional families, many women are deemed unworthy of marriage after sexual assault, as virginity is a virtue and sometimes, a requirement of marriage for these cultures.
Moving away from the subject household and into the issue of legal power being no help, many minorities are reluctant to report because they fear a lack of response, belief, or help. Many minority women, especially black women, already struggle with the criminal justice system as is. To report something as traumatizing as sexual assault or abuse takes a large dose of courage, and minorities historically already do not trust the legal system because truthfully, it was not built to protect or help them, and can sometimes work against them. 44% of white sexual abuse victims report their abuse while only 17% of black victims report the same abuse. Not only is there the lack of concern for black and minority victims, there’s also the issue of women of color being more likely to have their children taken away due to lack of protection if their child reports sexual abuse than white parents.
There is very little addressed as ways to create a solution to the problems we as minority women face when it comes to sexual abuse, and it seems to me like we have to work our way from the inside out. We need to address our internal issues and understand them. I won’t say we need to do that before the issues can be resolved on the outside but there are a lot of issues we have within our cultures that genuinely need to be addressed and fixed so that we do not perpetuate these issues any further.
This article by the HuffPost discusses backlash to the #MeToo movement. We discussed in class and read about different negative opinions about and criticisms of the #MeToo movement. I was interested to see how these negative opinions and criticisms could negatively affect the movement’s progress in helping prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. The article discusses how a significantly larger number of men feel uncomfortable mentoring or socializing with women since the movement began. Men are now more aware of their actions and do not want to risk making women feel uncomfortable.
Although false accusations are rare, men seem to believe that a lot of the accusations that have come about because of the #MeToo movement are fabricated and untruthful. Men believe that their interactions with women will look inappropriate to others and get them into some sort of trouble because of accusations of sexual harassment. This affects relationships in the workplace. With more men holding higher positions at work and women being excluded from meetings and social outings, women are unable to advance in their careers. It is now harder for women to do their jobs and get ahead. Has this consequence of the movement caused more harm than good?
The article brings up how if men want to help be a solution to the issue of sexual harassment and rape then they should not stop interacting with women altogether. With men not wanting to interact with women, women cannot advance in their careers which ultimately doesn’t help solve the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace. Having women in higher positions, where men are, can help solve the issue of sexual harassment.
While reading a few questions came to mind. Why would men be scared to interact women if they aren’t sexual predators themselves? Is this part of a larger sociological issue? If all they have to do is not be predatory, why would that be difficult to do? What does this say about how men are socialized? It may have something to do with rape culture and how normalized predatory behavior is in media.
In an article I had read the other day, I came across something that reminded me of our in-class discussion. in an article about a woman named Zhōu Xiǎoxuán who has been in a legal battle that’s been going on for years now that started in a lawsuit for sexual harassment by her during her internship at a television network called CCTV, on a show called Art Life. After seeing the courage of the women in Hollywood and the #metoo movement Zhōu used social media to get her story out and even though the censorship in china is extensive her story ripped across social media and the start of the legal battle began.
at the beginning of the battle Zhōu and the Art Life host named Zhu were suing and countersuing until she wanted to press charges and take zho to trial. at the first hearing it seemed like even though zhu didn’t appear in court he made a statement that essentially claimed that he was a victim of smearing. without warning the second hearing got canceled and then denied Zhōu’s new cause of action request. as a result, she went to retrieve video evidence but the court blocked all of her attempts and in the end, the case was dismissed due to lack of evidence. I found this article interesting because we talked about the spread of #metoo to other countries, however, it’s terrible that there wasn’t any chance of justice for Zhōu due to the censorship in china.
In class, we discussed cancel culture today and how many music artists who have allegations against them are able to continue their careers and not be held accountable. This article discusses men in hip-hop specifically and highlights a very important issue in the music industry and society in general. Why are abusive men in hip-hop not held accountable for violence against women? When will we start holding abusive men in hip-hop accountable?
While this article was written a few years ago (2018), it still addresses a key issue going on today regarding sexual harassment and violence against women. Many artists today, many of which listed in this article, still have thriving careers despite the many allegations against them. Music artists such as Chris Brown, Eminem, and XXXTentacion, have remained on billboard charts despite their many allegations of violence against women. XXXTentacion was actually able to rise to fame despite all the allegations against him. Even after his death, people continue to mourn his death and continue to defend him.
XXXTentacion
Fans of these artists seem to brush their allegations under the rug and continue to support them, but what does this say about fans of these people. What does this say about the limitations of the #MeToo movement in reaching fans of hip-hop?
The article also discusses how other music artists, in this case Nicki Minaj, have continued to work with men who have allegations against them, specifically 6ix9ine who pleaded guilty to sexual assault of a minor. Nicki Minaj has also remained silent about the abusive behaviors of her own brother. How does this silence further the issue of accountability in the music industry?
“Separate the art from the artist” is a statement I hear often when people justify listening to problematic artists. They claim to just listen to their music because they enjoy the music, not because they like or support the actions of the person. But is this a valid argument? Can we really separate the art from the artist? By listening and consuming their art, are we not indirectly supporting the person and their actions. Are we not helping advance their career? And is that not justifying their abusive behavior? Is it really worth it to brush violence against women under the rug just because they make good music? What does this say about us as consumers and fans?
In a 2017 post titled “Sexual Harassment and Hollywood’s Earliest Cartoons” the author, Gabrielle Bellot, explained that recent claims of sexual harassment from Harvey Weinstein that started the #MeToo movement are what inspired her to investigate sexual harassment in Hollywood. Upon hearing about these claims she was reminded of sexual harassment depicted in old cartoons. Depictions of harassment towards women can be found in Hollywood through cartoons as well. A few examples are: Mickey Mouse, Little Red Riding Hood, and most importantly, Max Fleischer’s Betty Boop cartoons.
Whether the Betty Boop cartoon was meant as a children’s cartoon or an adult cartoon is up for debate. There are many specific episodes where Betty Boop is so obviously being harassed and even almost raped. The cartoon mirrored instances of the real world, bad ones. Episodes of Betty Boop depict stalking, sexual harassment in the workplace, and even an instance where rape is implied in the show. While most of these actions might go over the heads of children, adults can clearly see the problem.
These types of cartoons were released around the time that the entertainment industry in Hollywood was being exposed. In the 1920’s, many scandals involving sexual assault, drugs, and even murder were being exposed to the public and being brushed under the rug in the courtroom. Hollywood releasing such controversial cartoons could either be seen as a cry for help or as a way to simply say “this is how stuff is around here”. Normalizing sexual harassment towards women could easily be done through cartoons like this. Which could explain why this type of harassment is still around today. Actions like the ones depicted in the cartoon such as workplace sexual harassment had the power to influence little boys. According to learning theory, used in psychology, actions like these could be learned. For example, a boy that witnesses a man getting what he wants with a woman in a cartoon at a young age may be more subconsciously willing to do the same when he gets in the same position of power when he is older. A little boy who watched a cartoon of many people in a work force working together and including both men and women might subconsciously be more open to working with both genders.
Another theory based on why the cartoons were created could be found if you look a little deeper. In the episode “Betty Boop’s Big Boss”, Betty responds to a help wanted sign, clearly describing a position for a girl. Betty is asked what she can do and she responds by singing the boss a song. The boss is then shown daydreaming about what it would be like to be with Betty. While she is still singing, he sends all of the other girls away. Betty Bopp is then shown “provoking” the boss. While it may look like Betty Boop is the one provoking the boss, some people may see it differently. From his perspective, he may presume Betty’s actions or words are sexual advances. In reality, Betty’s naturally high pitched voice and friendly mannerisms may have been wrongly interpreted as flirtatious. After the boss hires Betty, she begins to work but then suddenly, Betty hits the boss with a piece of the typewriter and he snaps out of it. He asks Betty for a kiss and she rejects him. After being rejected the boss starts to walk towards her, when Betty tries to run away, the door is locked. Betty calls the police, but even they can not get to him because he is up high in his building. This part may suggest that a woman being harassed may not get justice if the abuser has a lot of power or is a member of the upper class. After the police fail to get the boss, Betty tries shooting him with a pencil sharpener. The boss only yells out once but still has a smile on his face. This could also be interpreted as Betty not having enough power to stop him. Finally, the only way to take down the boss is by shooting at the base of the building. The building falls with the boss still in it but Betty Boop goes down as well. This shows that Betty was not able to ask for help without going down along with her abuser. This has been the case for many women that have spoken up about their harassment in the workplace, even in Hollywood.
Bellot explains that “Harassment was braided to the industry from its beginnings; there were many Weinsteins before Weinstein”. Although this was a recurring problem, there were many women who were afraid to speak up about their abuse. The issue being spread through cartoons may have been a tool to help people cope. The cartoons may have helped them watch and laugh through the situation. On the other hand, they may have mirrored these Hollywood scandals to raise awareness in a discrete way. Women were not safe if they spoke up. In “The Limits of #MeToo in Hollywood”, Margaret Talley explains that even though laws were made to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, these laws were not abided. Thanks to activists like Tarana Burke and Alyssa Milano, and movements like the #MeToo movement, women in the United States are finally getting the justice they deserve.
The LGBTQ+ community has seen a lot of discrimination recently in Poland. So much that the European Union has threatened to withhold crucial funding from Poland.
Poland is a Catholic-based country and the ideals of the Catholic church affect almost every aspect of law in Poland.
Top officials in Poland are against the LBGTQ+ community and have zero policies or laws to protect the individuals in the community. This has sparked outrage amongst groups and has caught the attention of many countries and global organizations. Polish cities have gone as far as to identify themselves as “LGBT free zones” where no one in the community is allowed. This has gone as far as to cause individuals to flee the country in fear of harm to themselves from the Catholic-based country. These cities are becoming more widespread and individuals living in Poland use Catholic ideologies to excuse their displacements.
It’s crazy to see that these basic human rights are not being protected just because these individuals are LGBT, and its sad to see that top officials are openly hateful towards the community and refuse to accept them as true Polish.
Time’s Up is an awareness, action, and advocacy group originally founded by over 300 women in 2017 (founding members linked here:https://timesupnow.org/times-up-the-300-original-signatories/) dedicated to fighting sexual harassment and related abuses of power in the entertainment industry. In 2018, they launched the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, under the National Women’s Law Center (linked here: https://nwlc.org/times-up-legal-defense-fund/).
In the wake of Andrew Cuomo’s resignation over numerous sexual harassment allegations, several high profile individuals also found themself caught in the crossfire, including none other than Time’s Up chief executive, Tina Tchen. Vice chair Roberta Kaplan also found herself caught in the matter. The two women were revealed to have guided and advised top Cuomo aides and confidantes on how to best handle the matter. They were found to have provided feedback on an unpublished article smearing Former Governor Cuomo’s first accuser, Lindsey Boylan. Ms. Kaplan, a lawyer, was also revealed to have consulted with a top Cuomo aide on how strongly her organization should respond to the Cuomo allegations, resulting in leader Ms. Tchen instructing colleagues to stand down from releasing any formal statements on the matter.
In the wake of these events that appear to stray incredibly far from the organization’s original mission, purpose, and intent, both Chief Executive Tchen and Vice Chair Kaplan stepped down from their leadership positions in the organization, with Monifa Bandele now at the helm. You can read the statement by Time’s Up’s governing board of directors on the matter here: https://timesupfoundation.org/newsroom/statement-from-the-times-up-governing-board-of-directors/.
But how does this happen? How does an organization with a core of helping and amplifying the voices of victims of harassment find it’s leaders entangled in the corruption of attempting to silence such survivors? Is it possible for an organization that has gone so against it’s core fundamental values at the highest level to come back from this with a simple leadership change? Or is it time’s up for Time’s Up?
For my first blog post assignment, I wanted to incorporate the #MeToo movement that has been ever so prevalent in our class over the past couple of weeks. The article that I chose was published by The Washington Post and is called “#Metoo raised awareness about sexual misconduct. Has it curbed bad behavior?” The author of this article, Ellen McCarthy, brings up the reported cases of sexual assault against former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and how his behavior was maintained because of his position of power.
To break down the article, McCarthy begins with the betrayal that is felt because of atrocities that Cuomo performed without consent. Cuomo was known for being a “public advocate for legislation that has made it easier for women in his state to seek redress for sexual harassment and rape,” so it raises the question as to how his words and actions could be so contradictory? Instead of the thought that men had learned how to control their sexual insinuations/conduct towards women from the #MeToo movement, only awareness, and victim understanding were raised which does not curb the behavior.
It is made clear in the article that this type of behavior has not decreased because of the “power dynamic” that primarily men hold over women. This call for change will only occur if mindsets change, but the system is not one that will protect the innocent, instead, it is “set up to protect powerful people,” says, former policy attorney at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Elaine Herskowitz. But just because these powerful individuals have deluded themselves to believe their actions are appropriate, does not mean that reports have not continued to be filed against them. In 2018, a 13 percent increase in harassment claims were made, which is “attributed to the #MeToo movement.” Filed claims have still continued to rise because of the #MeToo movement, but it is counterintuitive to report with pride that claims have increased because it draws attention to the fact that sexual harassment is still just as frequent as before. With that being said, a professor at the University of Colorado who has done studies on the #MeToo movement’s impact on women found that sexual coercion such as “have sex with me or you’re fired” is less common, and harassment claims are less severe. Blatant harassment is still plentiful and Susan Strauss attributes that to “…some men that have a pathology that drives them to view women in this way. I think some will say, ‘Well, it’s not that big a deal. She needs to pull up her bootstraps and deal with it.’ And some will say, ‘Well, if it’s not so bad that it’s illegal then I’m just going to continue to do it.’ ” With this harmful mindset, the hope for change from the #MeToo movement will be stunted until legislation is passed that allows victims to speak out against their offenders.
As more women are appointed to higher positions in companies, with an accompanied higher wage, less hierarchal sexual harassment will occur. The first step in this battle for a change of behavior today begins with Andrew Cuomo’s resignation which “constitutes a win for the (#MeToo) movement.”
I enjoyed this article because it breaks down the effects of the #MeToo movement, which is what I have only read about in the book we are covering in class. I liked being able to apply what I have already read to modern-day cases of sexual assault/harassment. The #MeToo movement is doing wonderful things by empowering women, now workplace behavior needs to be the focal point that needs to shift for the better for consistent change.
The 2020 Bollywood film, Chhapaak, is based on the life of Laxmi Agarwal. When Laxmi was just 15 years old, she was flung into the streets, pinned down, and attacked with acid in a crowded area. Three days prior, she had rejected an older man’s advances. Instantly, her ears melted and both arms were charred black. At the end of ten weeks, she underwent seven surgeries and required at least four more. For eight years, Laxmi stayed inside, while her attacker was out on bail after a month. Every job application she submitted was rejected and she was shunned by society.
Acid attacks are a premeditated form of violence in which an individual throws acid on another individual, resulting in severe injuries and disfiguration. Those who are attacked find themselves navigating through a new life that leaves them isolated and ostracized. Worldwide, the majority of these attacks are directed against women who are perceived to violate honor codes and prescribed standards of female behavior. They are often perpetrated by family members or close relations. Approximately 1,500 acid attacks are recorded worldwide annually. Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Cambodia and Uganda are countries with the highest reported rates.
Acid attacks generally are designed to maim and humiliate the victim not kill her. There are numerous physical, psychological and socioeconomic effects of acid attacks. Instantly, pain and shock sets in. The eyelids may be burned off, hearing loss is a possibility, and many are diagnosed with respiratory failure from inhaling the acid vapors. During the recovery process, the trauma can lead to depression, paranoia, and fear. Victims are then faced with social isolation and ostracization. Their self-esteem, self-confidence, and professional and personal futures are damaged. The medical expenses add up and place a burden on the families, and victims find it impossible to make a living, or even get married.
Statistics show that 80% of all acid attack victims in the Indian subcontinent are women. In developing nations, acid attacks against women are frequently identified as crimes of passion, such as refusal of a marriage proposal or extramarital affairs. Male attackers use acid to exhibit their perpetual control over a woman’s fate, to humiliate her, or to keep her in a perpetual state of fear.
Such attacks are further perpetuated by the lack of clear regulation of acid sales. There is an absence of law regulating the sale of acid, resulting in the purchase of acid accessible and available to anyone. Dr. Nehaluddin Ahmad proposes that the government should hand out acid licenses so that only those who have the clearance and licensing can receive access to purchasing acid.
For many, acid attacks go unreported for fear of reprisal. For cases that are reported, a small number of those proceed to trials with verdicts. Currently, there is no specific legislation on the subject. The Indian Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) does not specifically outline charges for acid attacks. The charges are highly generalized, and a perpetrator can be charged under one of four sections. One of those sections is Section 320, which only states “grievous hurt.” Section 320 does not account for the injuries deliberately inflicted by acid attacks. But acid attacks are deliberate. Acid attacks require the perpetrator to purchase acid, knowing it will be used to destroy the primary constituent of a woman’s identity.
The IPC is 158 years old, so it is time for it to be revised by incorporating new sections. These new sections should be unbiased and specific to acid attacks. It should lay out the regulation of purchasing acid by individuals or corporations that have clearance and licensing. All perpetrators should be taken to court, where rulings should be harsher. Perpetrators should be charged with fines and pay off the medical bills of their victims.
The media handle these cases with insensitivity and immaturity. They often discuss what the victim did to endure this amount of trauma. However, with the release of Chhapaak, more and more people are learning the realities of this act. Soon, Laxmi began a campaign against acid attacks. Along with the Chhanv Foundation, she began assisting other victims with treatment and rehabilitation. In 2006, Laxmi successfully filed a petition and the Supreme Court of India passed legislation to regulate the sale of acid, compensate victims, provide victims with treatment and rehabilitation, and access to jobs.
Hopefully, making changes to the IPC to make it more specific to acid attacks and recognizing victims, we can see a decline and eventual end to acid attacks.
Neha Kelkar is a junior at East Carolina University. She is set to graduate in May 2021 with a degree in Molecular/Cell Biology and a minor in Gender Studies. After graduating, she plans to pursue her studies in Evolutionary Biology. In her spare time, she enjoys reading.
