I have eaten my birthweight in pumpkin products and spent an absurd amount of time sleeping these last few days; two lovely things I wish I had occasion to do more often. I hope you’re all feeling as rested and pleasantly roly-poly.
During one of my brief interludes of conciousness, I came across a story reported by the BBC about at new UN initiative, Network of Men Leaders, to combat violence against women. Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General, delivered a speech on the topic last Tuesday, November 24th, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
An excerpt of the full statement:
Some 70 percent of women experience in their lifetime some form of physical or sexual violence from men — the majority from husbands, intimate partners or someone they know.
This is unacceptable.
All of us here know that unless we change our attitudes and behaviour, violence against women will continue.
We must act together. We must build on the efforts of so many women and women’s organizations who have worked tirelessly to address this epidemic. We must continue to widen the circle of engagement.
After all, just as women’s rights are human rights – women’s issues are people’s issues.
That is why today I am launching a dedicated Network of Men Leaders. This Network will consist of men – young and old – who have pledged to work to end violence against women and girls. These men will add their voices to the growing global chorus for action. Each has pledged to take concrete steps in his community of influence and create partnerships with women to end this violence.
As I launch this Network, I call on men and boys everywhere to join us. Break the silence. When you witness violence against women and girls, do not sit back. Act. Advocate. Unite to change the practices and attitudes that incite, perpetrate and condone this violence.
Violence against women and girls will not be eradicated until all of us – men and boys – refuse to tolerate it.
Together let us make that pledge.
There are many positive examples of men taking action. Judges whose decisions paved the way to fight abuse in the workplace. Organizations that have begun networks of men who counsel male perpetrators of violence. National leaders who have publicly committed to leading the movement of men to break their silence. The White Ribbon Campaign whose members pledge never to commit or condone violence.
The list is growing, but it is not long enough. Everyone can do something.
For my part, I commit to doing everything in my power to ensure the success of this fight. Within and outside the United Nations, I will continue to use my Campaign to highlight the issues. Today, I ask you to join us in your own unique way.
I thank all of you for taking part. Through this Network, let us, once and for all, end violence against women and girls.
I’m glad to hear that a global coalition of leaders are taking what appears to be a strongly worded stance against VAW, even as I despair that it might (and I stress might) only now be taken seriously because some MEN LEADERS are finally pointing it out–after all, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, along with WOMEN LEADERS from all over the world, have been raising this issue for years. Should I be hopeful, thankful for these crumbs of promise, or is this nothing more than lip service?
Also, why didn’t I see this “important” international declaration from any mainstream news sources? Wait, lemme guess…
I don’t understand why he is solely calling/creating this Network of Men Leaders. It’s great that he wants men to be involved, clearly they need to be, but the whole “hey men lets fix this problem for the women” attitude seems a mite condescending. Why can’t it be an inclusive network of men and women?
Bluebears, I don’t read it that way. It sounds to me like he’s acknowledging that since the vast majority of violence done to women is done by men, it’s men who must stop it. I think we’d agree with that. To the extent that it takes men to pressure, educate and shame (and whatever else it takes) other men, this statement seems right on to me.
But yeah, funny how it got NO press coverage. I guess the MSM was very busy with Jon and Kate or whoever it was last week.
Wow. Thanks for posting this! I didn’t come across this either. I like to post these types of things on my FB – even if people don’t click the article (and I doubt they do)…they might just read the headline.
I laughed out loud at the name “Network of Men Leaders.”
No, instead the CNN frontpage stories right now are about the cop shooting in Seattle (which actually is really important to the national political scene since the guy they think did it was pardoned and freed by Mike Huckabee and is wanted for other things apart from this, including statutory rape) and the Tiger Woods thing. People: Tiger Woods’ marriage is not news.
Still, it’s nice to see the UN commit to this (assuming anything will actually come of it). I understand the use for there to be a group of men addressing the problem of male violence against women — after all, we’re always telling men that they should take responsibility for male violence against women. I don’t think it should be the only group, or the most important group, but I do think such a group can be productive in ways that a group of women or a co-ed group can’t necessarily be (if only because, realistically, some men will only listen to other men).
I’m feeling optimistic today, so I’ll take this as a good sign! I think this _is_ a positive step on the road to mainstream awareness that domestic/sexual violence against women is, in fact, a men’s problem, given that men are overwhelmingly the perpetrators. I think it is OK to have a network of men (only men) who stand together and say “we recognize that men have been abusing and killing women for too long, and we aren’t going to stand for it anymore.”
Though I wish he had gone even farther with this sentence: “Violence against women and girls will not be eradicated until all of us – men and boys – refuse to tolerate it.” More provocative would be to say “refuse to commit it.” That would be along the same lines as a suggestion I saw recently: instead of repeating statistics like “1 in X women will be raped or sexually assaulted in her lifetime,” say “1 in X men will commit rape/violence against women in his lifetime.” I’d be fascinated to see that paradigm shift happen in the MSM.
“Network of Men Leaders” is just tautology anyway–at least, for the vast majority of the world.
I agree with the spirit of the thing, obviously, but it’s sad that it has to be phrased as “we men will get together to help the wimminz” instead of “we leaders will work to stop human rights abuses in our societies.”
Yeah, I guess it’s a fine line to walk when creating a “men only” type of group. I do absolutely think its important for men to be involved and to realize their own role in this.
I’m inclined to think that it’s not getting much coverage partly because US news services don’t tend to cover the UN unless there is a scandal that makes the UN look bad.
I’ve seen this covered on Canadian and British news services.
I’ll take this as a good sign! Though my first thought was, “pfff! They had to create another boy’s club- for violence against women!?” Then I thought about it and, as unfortunate as it sounds, I think that a lot of men will be more comfortable discussing and more responsive to this topic if it comes from other men.
That doesn’t mean that women shouldn’t still be involved, of course, but at least more men are taking an interest and that’s what is most important.