Not being assaulted is not a privilege to be earned through the judicious application of personal safety strategies.
— Emily Nagoski
A tough session planned for July: rape culture. What is rape culture? Once we define it, we can start seeing it everywhere. Why is male sexual violence against women normalised and not taken seriously? Indeed, even joked about? We’ll also look at rape myths. We are now advertising WAAC meetings and events on Eventbrite, so feel free to let women know how to find us there. Any questions, email us at women@womensactionalliance.org.
Join us for whichever session(s) you want:
- 6.45 pm. Cuppa tea, biskit, and a chat. Maybe browse the WAAC LIBRARY
- 7 pm. Consciousness raising (‘CR’). Rape culture.
- 7.50. More tea and biscuits.
- 8 pm. Strategy. Our first ‘proper’ strategy session.
- 9 pm. Close and help pack up. Thanks!
Suggested resources for the meeting
Web articles
- What is rape culture?
- I didn’t understand rape culture until I was attacked
- Has #MeToo Changed the Way Steubenville Remembers Jane Doe?
- US feminist Susan Brownmiller on why her groundbreaking book on rape is still relevant
- Rape culture is real: spare me your tears for toxic masculinity
Videos
- Challenging normalization of sexual violence against women, Susana Pavlou, 16 mins. If you only have time to watch (or listen) to one video, then make it this one.
- This is rape culture, Spring Break, 9 mins. Note that some of the visual content in this videos is quite confronting.
- Rape culture or just a wild night? The Sunday Talk., 12 mins. Warning: certain attitudes in this one might make you cross. Very cross, indeed.
In the news
- Expelled Wisconsin student sentenced to 3 years for raping 3 women
- Defence lawyer asks alleged incest victim why she didn’t clench her legs together
- Female reporter sexually assaulted during live World Cup broadcast in Russia
- How the Cosby case reaffirms the existence of rape culture
Journal articles
- Rape culture, lad culture and everyday sexism: researching, conceptualizing and politicizing new mediations of gender and sexual violence
- The Office was asking for it: “that’s what she said” as a joke cycle that perpetuates rape culture
- Tweeting rape culture: Examining portrayals of victim blaming in discussions of sexual assault cases on Twitter
Next meeting, Tues, 14 August
Consciousness-raising: Pornography and porn culture. How did we get here? Why has it become normalised? What is it doing to sex and sexuality? How does it affect us as a woman, and as women? Analysis of the porn industry. Porn as an expression of patriarchy.
Strategy: Ongoing
