Women face myriad forms of violence today and throughout history. Both Anita Hill and Nafissa Diallo were forced to experience this violence in the form of sexual harassment and rape. Their cases did not follow the same pattern any other criminal case would, it turned into a circus of “he said, she said” for both women. Because of their intersectional identities as women of color etc., their evidence did not hold up against the evidence of the powerful men who wronged them. Sexual violence against women has long been an issue dominated by male opinions and decisions, and these examples only prove how ideologies surrounding sexual violence from far in the past are still in place today, disempowering women. In 1991, Clarence Thomas was Nominated …show more content…
She was taken to the hospital where they found injuries and DNA evidence of a sexual encounter between the two. The media rushed to the story, casting a negative light on Diallo and immediately trying to discredit her, “[There was a] media carnival accusing Nafi Diallo of prostitution, having HIV/AIDS, being undocumented, lying about her taxes, having unsavory friends…[they] provided graphic details, often exaggerated, of her biography” (Fine 9), the media was villainizing her, trying to prove her as an untrustworthy person so her rape could be discredited. It was advocated she go to trial, but eventually the charges were dropped as Diallo was found “not credible”. Strauss-Kahn eventually admitted they there was a sexual encounter between the two, but claimed it was consensual. Despite all the medical and forensic evidence against him, it became another case of “he said, she said”, as a powerful white politician from France, Strauss-Kahn 's evidence counted more than Diallo’s, a woman black asylum seeker from Guinea. Her intersectional identity as a black person, a woman, an immigrant, a poor woman, a single mother etc. has left her disempowered in a situation (that of sexual violence) that is controlled by …show more content…
Throughout her questioning she remained composed and consistent, providing the panel with eloquent answers to their questions. Hill chose to come forward, years after her harassment, because she knew it was the right thing to do. She provided the public with a depiction of a composed and educated black woman standing up against sexual violence, a depiction that was new to much of the American public. Diallo however, became a scapegoat in the media, with rumors of her sexual promiscuity, bad morals, untrustworthiness etc. being circulated. She was portrayed as a sexually and morally deviant black woman, which is a very common stereotype
Saunders states that Rape Shield laws are in place to protect victims of sexual assaults and rapes during a criminal trial. They prevent defendants to bring fourth evidence of the victim’s sexual history, orientation or past relationships (Saunders, 2014). Rape can be a very emotional and embarrassing ordeal; it’s very private and personal and can be hard to deal with for years to come. As with many victims of crime especially sexual offenses there are advantages and disadvantages to each new law that is implemented. This paper is designed to analyze the advantages and disadvantage of the Rape Shield Laws.
Desmond King and Stephen Tuck’s “De-Centring the South: America’s Nationwide White Supremacist Order after Reconstruction” was focused on how white supremacy flourished in not only the South, but in the North and West as well, debunked that the North and West were much better places to live regarding racial discrimination, and how African Americans had lacking representation in the political sphere. Laura F. Edwards, on the other hand, discusses how the legal system judged certain crimes, such as rape, were affected by one’s sex, black women’s and white women’s experiences with sexual assault, the assumptions related to the lower class affected women, and misogyny in her “Sexual Violence, Gender, Reconstruction, and the Extension of Patriarchy
"Violence against women-it's a men's issue." Jackson Katz:. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. .
2.) National Research Council. Understanding Violence Against Women, Washington, DC: National Academy of Press. 1996.
Rape can happen to anyone. Women from different cultures, races, ages, and economic level are all vulnerable. It does not matter who you are or where you live, although women of lowest status are most vulnerable to rape, and so are Hispanic and African American women. (An...
In her book, “The Cry of Tamar: Violence against Women and the Church’s Response,” Pamela Cooper-White analyzes the patriarchal nature of men in our society to assert themselves over women, or those who are perceived as being “weak” or “indefensible,” in order to establish their power and dominance. Be it due to a need to feel superior, or out of innate fear of losing their masculinity, and thus being removed from their place of entitled authority. Pamela Cooper-White is calling the church, as well as the community, who may otherwise turn a blind eye to these despicable acts, to stand together in support of the victims, offering a safe haven where they may have otherwise felt they had no place of refuge.
This is most clearly discussed in Ida B. Wells-Barnett Exposes the Myth of the Black Rapist, 1892. In the South, this era was comprised of hundreds of lynchings of innocent black men, so much so that there were 728 by 1892 and “...only one-third of the 728 victims to mobs have been charged with rape, to say nothing of those of that one-third who were innocent of the charge” (Peiss 158). White men interpreted black men having intimate relationships with “their” women as a threat to their masculinity and power. They could not understand that a white woman would want to be with a black men, so the only conclusion would be that she was raped: “Why is it that white women attract negro men now more than in former days? There was a time when such a thing was unheard of. There is a secret to this thing, and we greatly suspect it is the growing appreciation of white Juliets for colored Romeos” (Peiss 156). However, dominant attitude was incredibly hypocritical and consisted of double standards, considering white men were able to sexually abuse black women. During and before the antebellum period, white slaveowners sexually abused black female slaves and this behavior continued into the
Susan Brownmiller’s excerpt Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape written in 1975 explores rape. It argues that from the beginning of time men had an advantage over women because their genitalia can serve as a weapon, which, in turn, generates constant fear. “Rape provides a sufficient threat to keep all women in a constant state of intimidation, forever conscious of the knowledge that the biological tool must be held in awe for it may turn to weapon with sudden swiftness borne of harmful intent”(Brownmiller, 312). Females are subjected to the harsh reality of rape at a young age through fairytales such as Little Red Riding Hood. Stories like these emphasize how weak women are and how heroic, brave and strong men are. Susan Brownmiller believes that the way to destroy the idea that “you can’t thread a moving needle,” and “no women can be raped against her will” by spreading awareness about rape and how it is a moral wrongdoing and punishable under the
... goal as feminists is to end gender-based violence, we must look at how dominant news outlets shape messages of sexual assault.
Picture this. You are heading off to college to begin the next chapter of your life. It is a moment you have always been waiting for. You are past the high school drama, and are ready to start taking classes that will allow you to obtain a degree in something you have always been passionate about. It’s your first week on campus and you are invited to a party being hosted by a group of upper classman. You show up to the party and immediately are handed a red cup with what you know is something you shouldn’t be drinking. You take a sip anyway and soon start talking to that guy in the corner who at first seems friendly, but soon begins to take advantage of you. Just like that everything changes. This is a situation millions of people face every
Anita Hill gave women hope, but none of this would have happened if she had not have had the courage to speak up about the sexual harassment by Clarence Thomas. Even though the EEOC had defined sexual harassment as sexual discrimination ten years prior to the initial accusation, women were afraid to speak up about it. Sexual harassment was viewed as a victim’s probl...
Rape is not just an action against an individual, but a violent crime that can scar a life
... To make sure that rape and sexual assault survivors get the proper treatment they deserve, we need to first make for sure that this doesn’t happen to anyone else. Preventative measures need to be taken. Educate the public on what rape is and why it cannot be tolerated. When rape or sexual assault does happen, the professionals dealing with it should have specific training so the victim feels comfortable and willing to report what has happened and seek medical attention. Most importantly, we need to stop letting rapists get off with lenient sentences, if they’re even convicted at all. What does this say about how we view women as a society? Our abuse is treated like a joke. Our abusers are sympathized with and we are demonized. Women are taught to be ashamed of the abuse – to hide it. Women are mocked and judged for being victims. This can no longer be tolerated.
Violence against women has been occurring throughout society since the dawn of time. It is hard for the law to stop it going on because the women are either to scared to come forward or the women feel it is their fault so they deserve the beating. This sort of violence is predominately in homes and between families. In many ways it would be quite hard for the legal system to stop it because not a lot of people know that it is going on. However the legal system has done some work to stop violence against women.
The media has become one of the main sources where people obtain their information from. This information can be taken in knowingly, or through subliminal messages. The media includes magazines, videos, commercials, television shows, and movies. Since, media has major influence over the public; violence being portrayed in the media is causing problems. Violence against women in the media has been happening for decades. The violence has been taking shape in many forms, as in emotional and physical violence. The types of emotional violence portrayed in the media include sexualizing, degrading, and treating women as less than human. The types of physical violence used in the media include hitting, slapping, kicking, sexual assault, and strangling. For a social advocacy project, a PowerPoint and letter were made, describing how media has been using the violence of music to sell products using research and theory from a psychology of women class.