‘You are a feminist? Oh God so you are one of those?’
The term feminist often carries negative notion. ‘Men hating’, ‘privileged’, ‘women who complain about everything just in order to complain’. These notions are often represented in youth culture, memes, even some celebrities speak out against feminist appeals. Not only does this contribute to young girls’ withdrawal of any feminist ideology but adds aspects of shaming to it.
‘Why becoming a feminist? We have everything we need; we have rights today. I don’t see the point’
Well exactly. In our Western bubble we have attained a lot progress within the last hundred years. But have you ever looked outside your bubble? Maybe towards countries in which women still struggle on a daily basis? I can name plenty examples. The further the geographical distance, the less we seem to care.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is often associated with a territorial dilemma. Sometimes people throw religious or ethnic discourses on it. Call it a ‘complicated matter’ – ‘nothing we can really do.’ Some people don’t want to take sides, some say they are ‘aware of the human right abuses but there is no real solution to it’. So let’s look at it through a feminist lens. Let’s ask ourselves:
‘If I would see a drunk girl being severely harassed by a man, would I help her or look away?’
I am pretty sure most of you would answer with ‘Of course I would help’. I am sure most of you wouldn’t even doubt for a second that your help would not make a change for this girl. And it is absolutely correct, you would have the power in this moment to prevent that woman from further harm. You would make a difference for her.
Now most of you probably think ‘Yes Daliah, because I would be physically present, so it is easier to interfere’. I agree with that as well, so let’s look at a different scenario: Imagine a person in your town is a rapist. He has raped many girls but has not faced any consequences yet. You do not know the person, you also do not really know the victims, but it is well-known that he committed those crimes and on-going. Would you report him to the police? Or maybe urge others to do so? Maybe even help in raising awareness about his crimes?
Now I believe that some of you might answer with ‘Yes’. But I can also imagine that some of you might think twice. Maybe some of you are doubting why you would have to be the person who has to take the first step in reporting him. Maybe some you think that you can only report that person if you actually see him raping someone. Or maybe it’s the physical distance from that scenario: You are not present, therefore you have no obligation to interfere. It doesn’t affect you – why being concerned about it?
And that is the problem ladies. We reject the idea of feminism because radical issues might not affect us anymore. We don’t speak out for others because we are safe in our comfort zone. If we don’t see things happening in front of our eyes, we tend to ignore them. But they are happening. Right now.
Palestinian women experience rape, sexual harassment and humiliation since the beginning of the occupation. Not only do they face these aspects during times of active conflict but also on a day-to-day basis.
‘I wanted to cross the checkpoint between Jerusalem and Ramallah when I suddenly saw a little girl and a father, both crying. Soldiers were surrounding them, pointing guns at them. They were laughing and I could repeatedly hear them say ‘Touch your daughter’s vagina or I will shoot you both.’ The girl was terrified; the father was begging them. She was just a kid’.
‘When they arrested me after a peaceful protest they blindfolded me. Then they undressed me. And then they raped me. Over and over again. I wish they just killed me.’
‘I have to cross the checkpoint every day. And every day I am terrified. Sometimes they just let me pass through but call me names: ‘Slut. Whore.’ Sometimes they stop me. I can’t tell what happens then. I am too ashamed.’
Those are just small real-life examples of violations many women and girls have to encounter. So why do we let that happen?
Coming back to the first example. I wonder if any of us would dare to say that ‘drunk girls cannot be prevented from being harassed’. Many of us would not accept such a statement. Probably even be outraged. Then why do we accept statements like ‘War crimes cannot be prevented in conflict areas’ or ‘Women in war areas cannot be prevented from rape or sexual harassment’. Why do we start to normalise this the moment it becomes too drastic?
Feminists are needed. Feminists who stand up and use their privilege for those women who have nothing. Feminists who don’t believe that their struggle is over just because it is in their country. Feminists who raise awareness on issues of women who face injustice every day. Feminists who step out of their safe zone to create one for others.
You don’t want to take a political side? Fine. But at least take the side of your fellow women who don’t have a choice but suffer. Palestine is just an example. There are many more countries.
They don’t need you to empower them. They need you to be in solidarity with them. They need you to share their struggle. They need you to raise awareness on their pain.
She could have been your sister, your mother, your friend. She could have been you.
Feminism does not mean to be an angry men-bashing woman. Feminism means solidarity, change, justice, equality and so much more.
If you can make a difference for the girl who is being harassed infront of you, you can make a difference for the girl on the other side of the globe.
The struggle isn’t over. Rise up sisters, you have more power than you think.
