MISOGYNY IS HARD TO SPELL BUT EASY TO PRACTICE

It is hard not to be aware of the current atmosphere of misogyny that seems to be on the rise. Or perhaps it has always been here all along but it has never felt so blatant. It is an attitude that seems to be reflected everywhere you look. It is in the papers, MTV, on the news and on the internet.  It has become hard not to notice the normalization of misogyny. 

This attitude of hostility toward women is not a new issue.  Unfortunately, women for centuries have been the target of misogynistic behavior.  The primary reason for this repression of women, was that women’s power, and primarily their sexual power, was feared by men. Those who made the laws felt that a woman's sexuality, her body too easily influenced a man's good judgement. Some felt that women's innate power to create life had become too important and so they created new stories and new laws that curbed a woman's influence and power.

So the pervading  male dominated culture created  prohibited women from owning property, getting an education,  providing for themselves, having a voice in politics and owning their own bodies. Women were essentially the property of men and had no legal recourse for the most part.  They felt they had to control a woman’s sexual appetite and her appetite for life in general or it would go out of control. Women were considered sub-human in some cultures, and not able to make rational decisions or to think without being overly emotional.  Even though you can see that there were times when the feminine thrived throughout history, they did not last. Eventually man’s desire for power and the acquisition of property won out and the rights of women diminished.

The Current Climate

What I see today is something  similar to those times when the feminine was denigrated and dis-honored. When the desire for power over others and greed took precedence over the more humanitarian values of the feminine.The overt expression of hostility and anger toward women is more visible today than ever before.

 Although we have made some headway in the rights of women over the past several decades, it is still apparent that we are experiencing a huge backlash toward women and losing many of those hard won rights. The general attitude being one of  acceptance of the denigration of women. The message being that women are sexual objects to be displayed, bought and sold for the entertainment and profit of some men and some women. It seems that whenever a society begins to fear women's power they use their own sexuality as a weapon against them. I ask you, is this because the more hostility and aggression is expressed the more it is allowed? Has violence against women become the norm? Is it because women and girls have always seemed easy prey, victims and powerless? Perhaps, it is due to the fact that these attitudes have been deeply buried for too long and that the power of women is still feared.

What is most disturbing is that there does not seem to be any apparent easy answer to this overwhelming problem.  Law enforcement cannot prevent these things alone. Regardless of how many pimps are caught, or traffickers put behind bars, there are others ready to take their place. The fact is, that until there is a shift in the collective thinking regarding the value of women and girls, nothing will really change.

THE NEW PARADIGM

Changing our existing paradigm is not an easy thing to do, but it can be done with the conscious intention of each and every one of us who feel moved to make a difference. From that space you can take right action by asking within and finding out what the next step is for you. 

Below are a few suggestions that you can do if you wish to be part of the change.

1. Believe in the power of your thought and intention. When enough people envision a new future that is based on egalitarian and humanitarian values then change can occur. This is a fact that has been proven over and over again, 
2.  Become more informed about the Herstory of our world and begin to share what you learn with other women and girls and educate yourself.
3.  If you have a son teach him to honor respect women, to accept the feminine within himself, and to see girls as whole people not just sex objects, 
4. If you have a daughter support her in understanding where her true power comes from and to know that being a powerful woman is not just based on being sexy and looking pretty. Help her to discover who she is apart from the media and to love and accept herself.
5.  Speak out against the violence you read about toward women. Your voice is important and needs to be heard. Don't be complacent and think your voice doesn't matter. It is the only thing that does. 
6. Take action as needed. If you see something that doesn't feel right, do something about it.
7.  Support organizations and projects that help women and girls who have been trafficked, who need the chance to go to school or to start a business. Below are a few great organizations that work with human trafficking issues and education for women and girls.

•           http:// www.thedreambuildersproject.com
•           http://www.thepolarisproject.org
•           http://www.themuse.com
•           http:://hopeforjustice.org
•          www.w4.org/Empowering-Women‎ 
•          www.educatinggirlsmatters.org/howtohelp.html 
•          www.care.org/work/education/girls-education

        Each of us can effect change if we choose to believe in our own individual and collective power. Change happens over time and it is always because of a group of committed and dedicated people who aligned with each other and who stood up for something they believed in, no matter what it took to make it happen. I invite you to meet this challenge if you feel moved and to do so today!