A CALL to MEN: Ending Men’s Violence Against Women -Tony Porter
In a society where men value women less and see them as property, an environment is created which overwhelmingly supports the objectification of women. Whether it’s the music and entertainment industry, corporate America, or even on a street corner, women are treated by men as objects (particularly sexual objects) throughout every stratum of our society.
As men and boys, we must begin to acknowledge and own our responsibility to be part of the solution to ending violence against women and girls. Over the last forty years we have made significant gains in holding men accountable for violence against women, we have also increased services to those who have been victimized. But with all that said, the violence has not declined. If women could end the violence by themselves they would have, while I maintain hope for the perpetrators we cannot depend on them. Who is left from the equation? Good men, which I believe are the majority of men. While we need to continue to hold perpetrators accountable and we need to increase services to those who have been victimized, that alone is not the answer. We have to incorporate prevention strategies in every aspect of this work. In order to prevent violence against women and girls, it’s my conclusion that men and boys must play a critical role in that process. This does not mean leading or controlling the effort, it means partnering with women and respecting their voices, experience, and wisdom regarding what it would take for us as a society to effectively right, this long overdue terrible wrong.