2008 Woodie Awards
Men fight against violence toward women
Mohammad Al-Kassim
Issue date: 9/18/06 Section: News
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One in three women will experience violence in their lifetime, such as a beating, rape or assault, according to the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM).
In the United States, the Justice Department statistics are more shocking: "Women accounted for 85 percent of the victims of intimate partner violence."
College campuses in the United States are not immune to this social problem.
The first meeting of UMKC's Men Against Violence, with its slogan "Working for perfect unity for men and women," was short on attendees but full of information about violence against women and the role of men in this issue. Vladimir Sainte, a junior majoring in sociology with a criminal justice minor, is taking on the tough task of organizing the group.
"Violence against women is not a women's issue," Sainte told those in attendance. "We men have a responsibility to help put an end to this issue; it concerns all of us."
The meeting was held last Wednesday, Sept. 13 in Haag Hall. With enthusiasm that was not dampened by the low turnout, Sainte told those in attendance the purpose of "Men Against Violence" is to help educate college students, especially men, and bring awareness of violence against women to the front pages.
"What I want to do is community service and activity, to find away to help eliminate violence against women," said Sainte.
The group discussed the different forms of violence committed against women, including physical, sexual and mental abuse. Also, the group talked about what men can do to end these kinds of abuse.
The group talked about the media and its portrayal of women as the weaker of the sexes, which glorifies a woman's body rather than her mind, treating her as a sex object rather than a human being. This trend is evident in many Hollywood movies. How men are superior to women is the subject of a documentary film by Jackson Katz titled "Tough Guise," which was shown to the group. Other factors were talked about, such as the environment and society and its contribution to the problem.
Sexual assault and abuse is any type of sexual activity that a person does not agree to, including: inappropriate touching; vaginal, anal, or oral penetration; sexual intercourse that a person says no to; and rape and attempted rape.
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