From the French Revolution to #MeToo, social movements often burst into the mainstream with what seems like little warning. Cass Sunstein explains why.
The 2002 installation ‘Rape Garage’ displayed statistics about rape, along with first-person narratives about sexual trauma.
Stefanie Bruser, Josh Edwards, Katie Grone and Lindsey Lee. Mixed media site installation at “At Home: A Kentucky Project with Judy Chicago and Donald Woodman.” 2001-2002. Courtesy the Flower Archive, housed at the Pennsylvania State University Archives.
Many Renaissance-era masterworks depicted rape and sexual assault as erotic. Beginning in the 1970s, artists worked to redefine rape as a crime of aggression and act of female subjugation.
A brutal rape at Pamplona’s 2016 running of the bulls outraged Spain. Then came #MeToo. With ever more Spaniards taking up the feminist mantle, schools – many of which are not coed – lag behind.
While in other countries, women are bringing down the powerful men who assaulted and harassed them, in Indonesia assault victims are still struggling to find justice.
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Dyah Ayu Kartika, Pusat Studi Agama dan Demokrasi (PUSAD) Paramadina
A combination of a deep-rooted patriarchal culture, conservative religious values and gender-insensitive law enforcement practices still deters Indonesian women from reporting rape.
Pink pussy hats are out at International Women’s Day events, but they are facing opposition.
Mark Dixon/Wikimedia
Progress on gender equity is harder to achieve, in part because of a belief on the part of some men that women have come too far too soon.
These women used the word intersectionality to indicate solidarity across race and class. Back row: Activist Tarana Burke, Michelle Williams, America Ferrera, Jessica Chastain, Amy Poehler, Meryl Streep, and Kerry Washington; front row: Natalie Portman, activist Ai-jen Poo, and activist Saru Jayaraman.
Golden Globes
Last year, the word ‘intersectionality’ hit the mainstream at the Golden Globes as actors attempted to raise awareness for #MeToo and #TimesUp. But what exactly does intersectionality mean?
Though #MeToo has changed some aspects of media reporting, there is still much to be done.
Wes Mountain/The Conversation
The #MeToo movement brought to light the extent of sexual violence in the community, largely through the media. But there is still a long way to go to overturn stereotypes and shut down online abuse.
Women in countries such as India, Pakistan and others have long organized campaigns against sexual violence – many of which have resulted in stronger laws in these countries.
The racial nature of the campaign lies behind the poor uptake in Africa.
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Recent media reports point to years of sexual abuse by Southern Baptist pastors. An expert writes why a long culture of women’s submission is responsible for this crisis.
A judge’s decision to acquit a Halifax taxi driver charged with sexual assault was protested at this rally in Halifax in March 2017.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese
A new Canadian law introduced as a nod to #MeToo, meant to protect sexual assault complainants, will have limited impact because it fails to consider how sexist judges and lawyers interpret laws.
Rose McGowan, with #MeToo founder Tarana Burke, was among the first women to speak out against Harvey Weinstein.
Reuters/Rebecca Cook
Workers are increasingly not keeping their employers’ secrets secret, as evidenced by the mass whistleblower event that is the #MeToo movement.
Dakota Blue Richards as Geraldine and Rufus Hound as Dr Prentice in a Made At Curve production of What the Butler saw, March 2017.
Photograph by Catherine Ashmore
Was Mary Stuart a passionate and jealous failed queen, or a brave and complex woman? Opposing representations in a new film and play reflect modern anxieties about women’s agency and leadership.
For a small fee, anyone can post sensitive documents publicly on a blockchain.
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Nir Kshetri, University of North Carolina – Greensboro
Chinese users have started posting sensitive materials, like documents of sexual assault, on the blockchain. But the government has taken its own steps to crack down on this practice.
Hundreds of women have accused John of God of sexual assault.
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Brazil’s John of God is a “spiritual healer” who performs surgeries without anaesthesia. Millions have experienced his unique healing methods, but now hundreds of women say he sexually abused them.