http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/end-violence-against-women
I have spent a fair amount of my time researching and writing about this cause: of understanding in order to do much more to prevent and effectively punish violence against women, especially domestic violence where the vast majority of it starts and continues.
Today, White Ribbon Day, I went on my first protest march for this cause. I found it interesting but not altogether empowering. I wonder how effective this annual march can be when nine out of ten people marching in the searing sun were women, but the reverse gender ratio applied to the people leading us, giving speeches before and after the march, and holding the news cameras. The people, in short, who were getting some kind of financial pay-back from being there. Most of the cops were men too.
We need men to get involved - and how! - but not like this. Not forever taking the positions of authority with the women doing the mainly voluntary, all too often dirty work. We need women to empower women, and men to humbly and honestly help us.
Still a bloody looooooooooooooong way to go to this end, me thinks, sadly, but I'm glad I went on the march.
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