Since September 16, 2022, over 270 people have died in Iran, and over 1,000 have been injured. What has been the cause of such loss? A natural disaster like an earthquake? Conflict such as war? No, it is the result of ongoing protests over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. Amini, a member of the Kurdish minority, was beaten to death by Iran’s morality police for not wearing her hijab or headscarf properly. Her death has sparked worldwide protests and is the opening for our discussion on violence against women, any act that results in the mental, physical, and/or sexual harm of a girl, teen, or woman.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 in 3 women around the world are the victims of violence. While the vast majority of these incidents are perpetrated by women’s partners, intimate partner violence isn’t the only form of disturbing behavior women experience.
Surveys have found that 97 percent of women between 18-24 have experienced sexual harassment, unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal and physical harassment of a sexual nature. Sexual harassment goes beyond stares, sexual jokes, and catcalls. It also includes sexual advances and power dynamics that pressure and coerce women, creating a hostile environment. Since 2006, the “Me Too” movement has been drawing attention to the issue of sexual abuse, harassment, and rape culture. Because of the “Me Too” movement, powerful men like Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby have been prosecuted for their behavior toward women.
It is important to understand that sexual harassment is not the same as sexism, prejudice, devaluation, and discrimination based on an individual’s sex. Examples of sexism include gender role stereotypes like the belief that women should do the laundry or are bad drivers. It can also extend to the workplace, where women are often paid less than men. Arguably, sexual harassment involves actions taken against women, while sexism involves attitudes about women that impact the quality of their lives.
To understand the complexity of violence and oppression women experience requires an understanding of the intersectional nature of women’s lives. Intersectionality refers to the fact that a person’s various identities are not separate from one another but, in fact, overlap. A person could experience violence because she is a woman, because she is an Asian woman, and because she is a lesbian Asian woman. Not only do these identities overlap, but the work of Patricia Hill Collins on the matrix of domination tells us that no one form of oppression carries more weight than another. Oppression is multifaceted and can not be separated.
The global response to the death of Mahsa Amini is growing to a noticeable, if not yet deafening, crescendo. Women around the world are holding rallies and cutting their hair as a sign of protest. In Iran, women are not only rallying and cutting their hair, but they are also removing their hijabs in front of the morality police. Men in Iran are also joining the protest, with members of the men’s national soccer team expressing their solidarity with the women. Only time will tell whether these protests will have a long-term impact and result in legal, political, social, and economic equality between the sexes. The question, of course, is whether women and men around the world will be willing to identify with the key term that accompanies equality. What key term could be so all-encompassing that it would advocate for legal, political, social, and economic equality between the sexes? Feminist.
Thompson is a co-owner of UITAC Publishing. UITAC’s mission is to provide high-quality, affordable, and socially responsible online course materials.
Images used in this blog:
- “View of a Crowd Holding Flags” by Artūras Kokorevas is licensed on Pexels. This image has not been altered.
- “Woman With Me Too Written on Her Shoulder” by Polina Tankilevitch is licensed on Pexels. This image has not been altered.
- “Graffiti on a White Background” by Markus Spiske is licensed on Pexels. This image has not been altered.
- “A Poster Hanging on Trees” by Sima Ghaffarzadeh is licensed on Pexels. This image has not been altered.
