This abuse is perpetrated by men whose relationships to the women range from current or former male partners, friends, roommates, acquaintances, and total strangers. Men are threatening women that they will send her intimate images to her social contacts, co-workers, or post them publicly, including on pornographic websites unless the women pay them money or provide more images. In some cases, men create fake social media profiles (sometimes impersonating the woman) and post women’s images there.Â
These are deliberate acts that men use to terrorize, control, humiliate, and financially exploit women.
Dworkin told me a story of my own life that intertwines with all women’s lives; the way my mind and my body have been colonized by men, over and over again; the ways that I have been trained to be submissive, to roll over, to be good. And what is it, to be good? To meet the demands of my oppressor? To be devoted to a life that is not mine? To be silent?
On May 21 and 22, Vancouver Rape Relief will intervene in two appeals before the Supreme Court of Canada that raise an important issue for sexual assault survivors whose cases go before the criminal courts.Â
Rape Relief is intervening to argue that men who do not bother to consider whether their sexual partners are consenting (or whether they are over the age of consent) are at fault and should be held accountable.
