This site asserts that gendered (sexual) violence will end when we STOP expecting women to protect themselves (and blaming them when they fail to do so) and instead, join in a collective struggle to identify behaviors that maintain and reinforce the structure of the Rape Culture.  When we shift the attack from victims to perpetrators and the institutions that support (and act as) perpetrators of gendered violence, we may just begin to raise consciousness and no longer tolerate the rape, abuse, and mistreatment of anyone, anywhere, any longer.

We also must begin to examine the ways that violence is systematically raced, classed, and gendered in society.  This will involve creating new definitions of what constitutes "violence" especially with regards to gender-based violence.  Coalitions must be created between the various anti-oppression struggles; only then will organizing efforts achieve their common goal of decreasing, and eventually eliminating, sexualized gender-based violence from our communities.

It all begins with education       Daily acts of activism       Rape is a man's problem

Modes of resistance       Let's build those coalitions        Our right to (self) defense
 
 

If we are to successfully deconstruct the Rape Culture, we must act collectively as well as on an individual level.  Each of us must take responsibility for our own actions and consciously choose to be a social agent committed to enacting change.  Here are a few ways you can resist and disrupt the hegemonic order on a daily basis: Interrupt jokes of a sexist, racist, and/or homophobic nature--If you laugh or say nothing when someone tells one of these jokes you are not only perpetuating the cycle of exploitation, you are sending a clear message that you don't mind. Identify and label oppressive behavior--calling people on their sexism, racism and homophobia is a confrontational act and may make you feel uncomfortable. Find your own way to be assertive that suits your personality and still serves your purpose. Send letters of complaint to artists, advertising agencies, magazines, broadcasting companies, newspapers, etc. who participate in the production of images that degrade women as well as racial and sexual minorities OR that glorify violence against any of the above groups. Refuse to buy products wherein the producer  engaged in any of these oppressive practices.

Societal assertiveness is not women's responsibility. It is a choice: to empower ourselves, to take every opportunity to set things right.  Its message is: I am powerful enough to insist on respect. --Elizabeth Powell

The vast majority of perpetrators of all forms of gendered-violence are men. Therefore, rape, sexual assault, domestic violence, etc. should be re-labeled as "men's problems" rather than "women's issues."  Feminists and individuals engaged in the anti-rape movement must invite men to join us and become our  allies in the struggle to end violence. 

Some fabulous men have begun to form progressive anti-rape organizations in order to deal with issues of masculinity and violence.  The organization Men Can Stop Rape  "believes that rape is a choice men make to exert power over others and is, therefore, a men’s issue. As long as men continue to make this choice or to remain silent while other men are violent, rape will continue. (MCSP) believes men can live peacefully with women and other men, but to do so, we must redefine what it means to be a man."

Check out what men can do to stop the rape of women at Men Can Stop Rape.
 
 

Once you have informed yourself and are involved in the anti-rape movement, the haunting question will arise: How do you teach people when they don't want to learn?  Violence against women is a subject that most people choose to ignore because it invokes a range of emotions that people would rather not confront.  Discomfort, fear, shame, guilt, and anger are avoided by remaining oblivious to rape and related issues and by sustaining a general state of apathy and ignorance.  Given that the majority of people simply don't care, how are we going to change the Rape Culture in which they are all unwitting participants?

Many organizations have adopted creative programs/projects that have been rather successful in attracting public attention.  By looking to these organizations we may find new ways to get our messages heard and to enact change.
 

The Clothesline Project is an excellent visual representation of how violence is pervasive and affects all of our lives.  This project has been started in many communities across the nation and is composed of T-shirts adorned with the poems,  words, and drawings; each is created by a survivor of incest, rape, or DV or by the family of a victim who did not survive her attack.  This powerful exhibit calls attention to the prevalence and severity of violence against women.  (Check with your local Rape Crisis Center or Battered Women's Shelter to see if your community has started a Clothesline Project; or better yet, start you own!)

The Vagina Monologues is a play written by Eve Ensler that revolves around several women talking about their vaginas in terms of sexuality, violence, identity, and oppression.  The Vagina Monologues has become infamous and it is shown on Valentine's Day (newly renamed "V-Day": a day to focus on violence against women) on many college campuses and in communities across the nation.

a reversal of attitude or standpoint;  to reverse direction

"About-Face is a media literacy organization focused on the impact mass media has on the physical, mental and emotional well being of women and girls. Through practical and activist methods we challenge our culture's overemphasis on physical appearance."  This gutsy group of women began a campaign called Stop Starvation Imagery  wherein they put up posters of emaciated models all over their city.  Needless to say this attracted lots of attention from the community.

War Zone is a revolutionary documentary of street harassment by Maggie Hadleigh-West.  In this film, West carries a video camera around with her on the streets of many US cities capturing on the record street harassment.  When men do harass her, she turns the camera on them and confronts their behavior.  An inspiring must-see!

In order to end gendered violence, we must begin building coaltions across lines of sex, race, class, age, ability status, sexual orientation/preference, as well as state and national borders.  Our anti-oppression struggles can no longer afford to remain separate.  We must work collectively to dismantle the systems of domination and violence which function to oppress people and hold them in check by the dominant hegemony.  We are all affected by gendered violence.  As long as we keep labeling rape a "woman's issue" or  anti-gay hate crimes a "queer issue" or street harassment a "non-issue" we will never see how our movements coincide and are essentially inextricably connected.

*The feminist debate--Feminists involved in the anti-rape movement have long been engaged in a debate over whether self defense is beneficial or detrimental to women wishing to evade sexual assault.
Those that advocate for self defense argue that it empowers women and can be very effective for women fighting off an attacker.  The other side argues that most sexual assaults and rapes are committed by someone the victim knows, and therefore self defense is less likely to be employed in these situations.  They further their argument by asserting that previous self defense training will only cause more guilt and shame for a victim who is unsuccessful in defending herself. 

I see the merit in both sides of this debate and feel that women should do what will make them feel most safe in their given situation.  Personally, my "rule of thumb" on this issue is if he perceives he has the right to touch you, hit you, offend you, molest you, and rape you, you have the right to sue him, press charges, file for divorce,  use your voice, use your fist.  Our right to (self) defense is more than learning physical strategies to overcome an attacker; it's about learning how to use the law, societal resources, our voices, our minds, and our bodies as tools to defend ourselves in any and all ways we can.

*An excellent  feminist book about the women's self defense movement is: 
Real Knockouts: The Physical Feminism of Women's Self-Defense
published by NYU Press in July, 1997 

*Before choosing a class...
go to the National Coalition Against Sexual Assault's "Guidelines for Choosing a Self Defense Class"

*A Model Anti-Rape Organization based on self defense:

Home Alive--Seattle-based org whose work in self defense encourages everyone to recognize their entitlement to the basic human right to live free from violence and hate.  Classes are offered  across the continuum of self defense (from assertiveness building to fire arms training).

*A Local San Diego Self Defense Course:

RAD--SDSU's Rape Aggression Defense Program offers elementary and advanced self-defense classes to San Diego State students

*Also check out the inspirational "I Fight Like a Girl"  Poem.