We believe men can change. Men are not inherently violent. Men are violent because of the social construction of masculinity and manhood. Men can stop raping and beating women and children. Men can stop killing women. We believe men can change but as a whole, they have not. Until we will hold abusive men accountable, it is not likely that they will.
There is great promise in communities holding abusive men accountable. So far, there are too few examples of it. Globally, too few communities have come together to make a collective agreement that the men in their communities will not harm women and children. Too few communities have sanctioned men for harming women and children. Men, everywhere, know that they can rape and beat women and children with impunity.
At the moment we must rely on the Canadian state to uphold its obligation to protect women and children. So far, it has failed, not to say refused, to do so. While we continue to demand that the Canadian Criminal (in)Justice System to deliver justice to women victims of male violence, we are looking for alternative grassroots effective community methods to hold abusive men accountable.
