For far too long in history, women have been perceived as chattel, disposable and expendable. This past year we witnessed uprisings in the Middle East during their Arab Spring. Women often fought along side men to oust oppressive regimes. In Bahrain, however, women are still at risk of torture and rape. Yemen women played activists roles in toppling President Saleh, yet still fight vigorously to keep demands for their rights. Libyan women face a multitude of challenges in the face of change so that they may have access to education and basic human rights. Women in Egypt who protested during the Arab Spring now have forced virginity tests. They have been subjected to discrimination, violence, and harassment. And let us not forget the brutal rapes of women and children that continue in the DRC.  

The film, Women as Enemy, is a documentary report produced by Susan Sacirbey, directed by Muhamed Sacirbey for the UN Refugee Agency, and released by DiplomaticallyIncorrect.org. We can see some of these women and hear accounts from those who are seen as the enemy in their countries. Some are displaced without food, shelter, and without rights. All have aspirations of basic human rights for safety, education, and protection from violence. One line in this film was particularly striking, “When it was too hard to talk, they drew pictures of their worst fears: harassment, violence, abuse.”

This short film is brilliantly done, simplistic in its lack of drama as it allows us to absorb the voices of women who deserve to be perceived, not as the enemy, but rather as an integral part of their societies. Their need for obstacles against accessing education must be heard. Their need for social justice must be heard. And their cry against economic vulnerability must be heard. Please watch this short video and listen to them. Share this video, and with it the dreams of women in peril.

(Double click on the arrow for preview)
—cher

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Image by heraldpost via Flickr

There are conflicting interpretations about what constitutes pornography. Perhaps we should consider how former Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart defined obscenity, “…I know it when I see it.” The same can be said of pornography, whether it is soft porn or hard-core. And like it or not, it is pervasive on the Internet. Pornography has now become a complex and contributing factor to domestic violence. Today more and more abused women are reporting that their abuser regularly views pornography on the Internet.

Kay Card, Director of  Safe Harbor Women’s Shelter stated, “Pornography is a cancer. Women can’t compete with the Internet. They report that their abuse starts with put-downs, progresses to physical abuse, sexual abuse and rape.  They {abusers} appear to be living normal lives, but you don’t know what people are doing in the middle of the night.”

Women’s rights groups have stated for years that pornography objectifies women and that rape and domestic violence increase exponentially as the abuser is exposed to pornography. Whether it is sexually explicit or subliminal, the effect is often the same. Women are presented in scenarios of degradation, humiliation, and dehumanized. Let’s face it; porn is intended for effect to produce sexual arousal and actions by the consumer. And the effects can be frightening.

There is a critical link to sex and violent crimes. And no, women cannot compete with what their husband or significant other sees on the Internet. How long will it take before a man takes a pornographic fantasy and attempts to turn it into reality? Will he rape? Will he become a pedophile? Think of vulnerable adolescents who can readily view this on the Internet and then carry these acts into adulthood as a norm of sexual relations. Do we want our daughters to believe that that objectification and possible subsequent violence are norms to be accepted?

Those of us who write on the Internet need to be cautious of the material we present. One never knows who will be reading any particular site. While there are no particular rules, is it not incumbent upon us to submit appropriate material that does not spiral into domestic violence?

I once heard a priest say that it is not the sin itself that is so bad. It is the ripple effects, those spin-offs of which we may not be aware, that cause horrendous damage. I would therefore ask bloggers to use caution. There is much good information on the Internet. There is also a large quantity of scurrilous material that can ultimately lead to domestic violence. Do not be a party to domestic violence through those ripples of obscenity or pornography.

—cher