Australia Lets STOP Violence Against Women!

It’s 2015 and so far this year just under half a million Australian women have reported that they had experienced physical or sexual violence in the past 12 months”. (ABS) the human race has come so far in terms of equality for all; don’t get me wrong we are still working towards bettering this. But why in 2015 the 21st century is a women scared to catch the bus home alone at night? If the study of history has shown us anything in the last 200,000 years of human existence, it is that all ideas can change. No one idea is so deep-rooted in the human nature that nothing can be done about it. Ideas can be changed by persuasion, by the light of reason alone, because ideas depend on material relations between human being.

The Canadian government used the social media campaign “Don’t be that guy” to combat the amount of sexual assault against women, and even men. The target audience was those out drinking on the having a good time. The campaign featured the following series of advertisements.

There were many more posters along with campaign witch can all be accessed on the ‘Women against violence against women’ website. The campaign takes away the focus on what the victim is doing and or wearing and puts the ownness back onto the perpetrator. The social media campaign has shown great success in Vancouver. Six months into the campaign and there has been a dramatic turnaround in sexual assaults and offences the rate dropping by 10%, for the first time in several years. Although this campaign showed that change and improvement is possible.

I am a women and I loathe catching the bus home late at night! I like many women choose to have an education and a career. These opportunities that the great country of Australia has allowed me is one witching more than half the world’s female population are denied.

The felling of the cold scratchy seat on my back, as I try and make myself look invisible. No knowing of who is getting on and off behind me. Not wanting turn and take a curious look and make eye contact as I may be encouraging an attract. Feeling that my clothes are not covering me enough that I look provocative. Looking alone and venerable so I decide talk on the phone to ward of any attention, even if there is no one on the end of the line.

Why do I feel this way? Why do 96% of the Australian female population feel this way?

From what I have studied and understand, we have been taught to think these thoughts. I will explain in an example.

A young woman has been murdered in a Public Park. She was going for a walk at 6:50pm walking pm on a Tuesday night. This reach’s the 6pm breaking new and is the lead story the following day. All the media are showing is this horrendous crime in newspapers, television and online media and social media. One of the first official media release from the Victorian Homicide Chief Detective Inspector Mick Hughes stated “ I suggest to people, Particularly females, they shouldn’t be alone in parks, as it is not safe.” This release was the one that was used and covered the most by all media outlets.

I see that these media reports and official statements are telling women to not walk alone because you’re leaving your self-venerable to attacks. What we publish in the news has major effects on the readers and targeted audience. By telling women not to wear that short skirt “your just asking for it” is completely wrong! By saying that a women must be accompanied by another at all time is just degrading to women that they are not capable of independence. All of these sentiments being pushed onto women is why I believe that we don’t feel safe catching the bus home and we teach these feeling to our children, and then the media reinforce this message in a so far unbroken circle of the female generations.

I wish to become a mother some day, but I don’t want my future daughter to experience these feelings that I am, as I sit on the bus writing this post!

This great Country gave women the right to vote. A competitive nation that allows all people of all genders, and all-physical capability to compete on the world stage. A nation that has messed up and learnt that it’s ok to say ‘Sorry’. And a nation that will soon say its ok to be gay.

So Australia I ask you now, lets get this great nation to stop violence against women!