#16DaysofActivism – Guest Blog – Alan O’Neill

The Men’s Development Network supports the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre’s 16 Days of Activism

The Men’s Development Network (MDN) works to raise awareness in men about how some of what we were told about being a man is not and has not been helpful to us men. MDN does this work by connecting men to our love and support for women, children and other men.

Connecting ourselves to our love allows us become empathic, supportive, understanding and more aware of where we are disconnected.

One of the areas where we men are disconnected is in relation to women, and women’s safety, and what it is like for women in the world today. Men’s violence against women continues to be a major problem. Most men are not violent towards women but many men haven’t made the connection between our sexist behavior and the lack of safety for women. For example many men watch pornography showing women being abused, humiliated, degraded, raped and hurt. We live in a society that says this is ok. This is a society in which some men sexually abuse and rape women. All of us men need to understand that sexism, misogyny, pornography, patriarchy, violence against women, sexual abuse and rape are all connected and each one supports and drives the other.

MDN wants men to recognise that gender based violence in its many guises; physical, sexual, emotional, economic and psychological, is one of the most persistent and widespread violations of the human rights of women and girls.

MDN works to end this violence by promoting the White Ribbon Campaign www.whiteribbon.ie, running programmes to change violent men’s behavior www.mend.ie, being spokesmen for Cosc’s  “What Would You Do?” campaign www.whatwouldyoudo.ie, seeking the ending of prostitution and all sexual violence through the Sexual Offences Act, teaming up with the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre’s “Ask Consent” campaign http://www.drcc.ie/media1/consent-page/, and now supporting DRCC’s 16 Days of Action 2017 Turning Dublin Orange to create a better, safer society by eliminating sexual violence against women and girls.

It is time yet again for all men to be allies to women by becoming active bystanders and calling out the sexual harassment, abuse, assault and rape  of women until it is eliminated so that 12 million women never again have to put  #MeToo on social media, and all women can be fully safe in Dublin, in Ireland and in the world.

 

Former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says:

“Break the silence. When you witness violence against women and girls, do not sit back. Act.”

Men can commit to taking this action at www.whiteribbon.ie