In October 2016, the then-first lady of America Michelle Obama delivered a compelling speech at New Hampshire. In that speech, she boldly addressed and challenged the ‘hurtful, hateful language about women’ shamelessly used in the opposition’s presidential election campaigns.
For those who have not heard her speech before, spoiler alert ahead. Here’s an excerpt of her speech.
“The fact is that in this election, we have a candidate for president of the United States who, over the course of his lifetime and the course of this campaign, has said things about women that are so shocking, so demeaning that I simply will not repeat anything here today. And last week, we saw this candidate actually bragging about sexually assaulting women. And I can’t believe that I’m saying that a candidate for president of the United States has bragged about sexually assaulting women…
This is not something that we can ignore. It’s not something we can just sweep under the rug as just another disturbing footnote in a sad election season. Because this was not just a “lewd conversation”. This wasn’t just locker-room banter. This was a powerful individual speaking freely and openly about sexually predatory behaviour, and actually bragging about kissing and groping women, using language so obscene that many of us were worried about our children hearing it when we turn on the TV….
And I know it’s a campaign, but this isn’t about politics. It’s about basic human decency. It’s about right and wrong. And we simply cannot endure this, or expose our children to this any – not for another minute, and let alone for four years. Now is the time for all of us to stand up and say enough is enough. This has got to stop right now.”
Her message was clear. Women are to be respected. Women have dignity. Vicious and disrespectful behaviour towards women SHOULD NOT, CANNOT and MUST NOT be tolerated. The consequences of tolerance and keeping silent will be devastating on the futures and well-being of families and children. So vote for the rights of women.
From Michelle Obama’s viewpoint, men were like this:
“I can tell you that the men in my life do not talk about women like this. And I know that my family is not unusual. And to dismiss this as everyday locker-room talk is an insult to decent men everywhere.
The men that you and I know don’t treat women this way. They are loving fathers who are sickened by the thought of their daughters being exposed to this kind of vicious language about women. They are husbands and brothers and sons who don’t tolerate women being treated and demeaned and disrespected. And like us, these men are worried about the impact this election is having on our boys who are looking for role models of what it means to be a man.”
This standard of human decency displayed in the lives of the men around her had set the bar (and norm) for her. It was a factor in moving her to take action against those who broke it.
The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence in America, though, offers us a different picture of society.
• On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States.
• 1 in 4 women have been victims of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
• 1 in 7 women have been stalked by an intimate partner during their lifetime to the point in which they felt very fearful or believed that they or someone close to them would be harmed or killed.
• 1 in 5 women in the United States has been raped in their lifetime.
That’s a staggering number of victims. Here’s a thought: perhaps hateful, hurtful, lewd, vulgar and violent behaviour towards and against women is not uncommon after all.
Before we in Australia distance ourselves from America’s social issues. Let’s take a look at our own statistics from White Ribbon Australia:
• 1 in 6 women have experienced physical violence by a partner since the age of 15.
• 1 in 4 women have experienced emotional abuse by a partner since the age of 15.
• 1 in 6 girls have experienced physical and/or sexual abuse by an adult before the age of 15.
• 1 in 2 women have experienced sexual harassment during their lifetime.
• 1 in 6 women have experienced stalking since the age of 15.
What does this mean for us all?
Perhaps your social circle bears similarity to Michelle’s and discriminatory or hateful behaviour against women is something you’ve never experienced or observed. If this is you, count it a blessing and remember that countless of others do not share the same blessing. So would you do something about it?
Perhaps your social circle bears little to no similarity to Michelle’s. Perhaps you know the 1 in the 1 in x statistics. Perhaps you are surrounded by women who have suffered under the hurtful, demeaning actions of others. Perhaps even, you can personally relate from lived experience. If this is you, know that you and the women around you are precious. Know that it doesn’t need to continue being this way. So would you do something about it?
Let’s do something about it because it concerns the precious life and wellbeing of a person – yourself perhaps, or a daughter, a mother, a sister, a friend, a child. And many times, it literally is a matter of life and death.
“Partner violence is the leading contributor to death, disability and ill-health in Australian women aged 15-44.” – White Ribbon Australia.
My high-school classmate was murdered by her husband. She was 23.
So let’s do something about it because we can, while we can.
Just as a single vote matters, so do our little (and not-so-little) actions. So let’s be spurred on to action, be it in supporting White Ribbon Australia, speaking out against sexual harassment at work, seeing a counsellor, donating to Project Freedom or more.
The reality for women is… so what would you do about it?
In October 2016, the then-first lady of America Michelle Obama delivered a compelling speech at New Hampshire. In that speech, she boldly addressed and challenged the ‘hurtful, hateful language about women’ shamelessly used in the opposition’s presidential election campaigns.
For those who have not heard her speech before, spoiler alert ahead. Here’s an excerpt of her speech.
“The fact is that in this election, we have a candidate for president of the United States who, over the course of his lifetime and the course of this campaign, has said things about women that are so shocking, so demeaning that I simply will not repeat anything here today. And last week, we saw this candidate actually bragging about sexually assaulting women. And I can’t believe that I’m saying that a candidate for president of the United States has bragged about sexually assaulting women…
This is not something that we can ignore. It’s not something we can just sweep under the rug as just another disturbing footnote in a sad election season. Because this was not just a “lewd conversation”. This wasn’t just locker-room banter. This was a powerful individual speaking freely and openly about sexually predatory behaviour, and actually bragging about kissing and groping women, using language so obscene that many of us were worried about our children hearing it when we turn on the TV….
And I know it’s a campaign, but this isn’t about politics. It’s about basic human decency. It’s about right and wrong. And we simply cannot endure this, or expose our children to this any – not for another minute, and let alone for four years. Now is the time for all of us to stand up and say enough is enough. This has got to stop right now.”
Her message was clear. Women are to be respected. Women have dignity. Vicious and disrespectful behaviour towards women SHOULD NOT, CANNOT and MUST NOT be tolerated. The consequences of tolerance and keeping silent will be devastating on the futures and well-being of families and children. So vote for the rights of women.
From Michelle Obama’s viewpoint, men were like this:
“I can tell you that the men in my life do not talk about women like this. And I know that my family is not unusual. And to dismiss this as everyday locker-room talk is an insult to decent men everywhere.
The men that you and I know don’t treat women this way. They are loving fathers who are sickened by the thought of their daughters being exposed to this kind of vicious language about women. They are husbands and brothers and sons who don’t tolerate women being treated and demeaned and disrespected. And like us, these men are worried about the impact this election is having on our boys who are looking for role models of what it means to be a man.”
This standard of human decency displayed in the lives of the men around her had set the bar (and norm) for her. It was a factor in moving her to take action against those who broke it.
The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence in America, though, offers us a different picture of society.
• On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States.
• 1 in 4 women have been victims of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
• 1 in 7 women have been stalked by an intimate partner during their lifetime to the point in which they felt very fearful or believed that they or someone close to them would be harmed or killed.
• 1 in 5 women in the United States has been raped in their lifetime.
That’s a staggering number of victims. Here’s a thought: perhaps hateful, hurtful, lewd, vulgar and violent behaviour towards and against women is not uncommon after all.
Before we in Australia distance ourselves from America’s social issues. Let’s take a look at our own statistics from White Ribbon Australia:
• 1 in 6 women have experienced physical violence by a partner since the age of 15.
• 1 in 4 women have experienced emotional abuse by a partner since the age of 15.
• 1 in 6 girls have experienced physical and/or sexual abuse by an adult before the age of 15.
• 1 in 2 women have experienced sexual harassment during their lifetime.
• 1 in 6 women have experienced stalking since the age of 15.
What does this mean for us all?
Perhaps your social circle bears similarity to Michelle’s and discriminatory or hateful behaviour against women is something you’ve never experienced or observed. If this is you, count it a blessing and remember that countless of others do not share the same blessing. So would you do something about it?
Perhaps your social circle bears little to no similarity to Michelle’s. Perhaps you know the 1 in the 1 in x statistics. Perhaps you are surrounded by women who have suffered under the hurtful, demeaning actions of others. Perhaps even, you can personally relate from lived experience. If this is you, know that you and the women around you are precious. Know that it doesn’t need to continue being this way. So would you do something about it?
Let’s do something about it because it concerns the precious life and wellbeing of a person – yourself perhaps, or a daughter, a mother, a sister, a friend, a child. And many times, it literally is a matter of life and death.
“Partner violence is the leading contributor to death, disability and ill-health in Australian women aged 15-44.” – White Ribbon Australia.
My high-school classmate was murdered by her husband. She was 23.
So let’s do something about it because we can, while we can.
Just as a single vote matters, so do our little (and not-so-little) actions. So let’s be spurred on to action, be it in supporting White Ribbon Australia, speaking out against sexual harassment at work, seeing a counsellor, donating to Project Freedom or more.
– Yin