Category: feminist

It’s not about ‘toxic masculinity’ or ‘healthy masculinity,’ it’s about masculinity under patriarchy

Shared with thanks from Feminist Current . illustrations and twits added

Positive traits and behaviour are accessible to and should be embraced by everyone, whether male or female. “Healthy masculinity” is really just healthy humanity.

Increased attention on men’s violence against women has focused attention on not only rape and sexual harassment but also on the cultural support system for such behavior. While only a small fraction of men violate the law, lots of men engage in less blatant forms of aggressive and coercive behavior that injure and undermine women, and even more men are bystanders who fail to challenge other men’s abuse.

This conversation often revolves around a critique of “toxic masculinity” and the search for a “healthy masculinity,” which does bring needed attention to these forms of abuse. But we should be wary of the way those phrases can limit our understanding and reinforce patriarchy.

I propose we replace “toxic masculinity” with “masculinity in patriarchy,” to focus attention on the system out of which problems arise.

An environmental analogy helps: Too often we only think about toxic chemicals when we have to clean up spills and leaks, responses that obviously are necessary. But just as important is challenging an industrial worldview that embraces the use of those toxic substances, along with critiquing the economic system that makes toxic contamination inevitable. The same goes for the patriarchal worldview.

Some may think patriarchy is an out-of-date term, but it’s an accurate description of societies based on institutionalized male dominance — which is virtually all the world, including the United States.

Patriarchal societies change over time and vary depending on culture, but when we recognize “it’s still a man’s world,” we simply are acknowledging that patriarchy remains entrenched.

Continue reading “Masculinity is Fine and Dandy.. but under Patriarchy can be TOXIC and Hateful”

Women departments in al-Tabqa, Deir ez-Zor, al-Raqqa, prepare to receive International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women

The women’s departments in al-Tabqa, Deir ez-Zor, and al-Raqqa launched their activities in coordination with the Syrian Women’s Council in preparation for the International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women, which falls on the 25th of November of each year under the slogan, “Occupation Is Violence. By Hevrin’s Resistance, We Will Break the Occupation and Fascism.”

WOMAN 24 Nov 2019, Sun – 19:28 2019-11-24T19:28:00 AL-RAQQA

There were numerous events and activities; the distribution of leaflets, hanging the banners, holding the symposia and lectures on the International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women and raising the women’s awareness that the freedom of society stems from women’s freedom and is linked to it.

Continue reading “Rojava women organise Day for Elimination of Violence against Women. 25 Nov.”