Following the rape and murder of Eurydice Dixon, the initial response by Victoria Police included warning women to exercise 鈥減ersonal responsibility鈥 and 鈥渟ituational awareness鈥 at night, among other unhelpful suggestions. Unsurprisingly, this victim blaming on social media.
Right-wing, anti-feminist commentator Miranda Devine took this to a new level, saying that young women should take precautions when they walk around, because 鈥渆xpecting men to change is unrealistic鈥.
She claimed on the that she was not victim blaming. But when challenged by host Georgie Gardener, who suggested that 鈥渢he message should be that men should be changing their behaviour and not assaulting women鈥, Devine retorted that, sure, predators are 鈥渁bhorrent creatures鈥 but that they wouldn鈥檛 take any notice anyway.
鈥淭he fact is you have to accept the world as it is; the world is not a perfect place and you have to understand that there are predators around and you need to take precautions,鈥 Devine said.
And she didn鈥檛 stop there. The next day she used her Daily Telegraph column to argue that the real problem was 鈥渢oxic feminism鈥.
As a man who wants women to be treated equally (yes, I鈥檓 a feminist) this is offensive bullshit 鈥 to both men and women.
The real toxicity we all have to deal with relates to gender stereotyping, which helps perpetrate such antiquated myths as men don鈥檛 cry, men are the 鈥渂read winners鈥 and men settle things with violence.
Devine refers disparagingly to feminist activists as 鈥渕an haters鈥, when they are not. They are trying to find ways of preventing the causes of violence. And in this huge struggle, they need allies.
In Devine鈥檚 pessimistic 鈥渢hese things just happen鈥 worldview, change is not possible. Yet men of all ages joined the vigils organised for Eurydice Dixon on June 18, showing that attitudes are changing and can change further.
To say we cannot change men鈥檚 attitudes towards women 鈥 which we have to do 鈥 not only ignores reality, it lets those who support the status quo, including all their law-and-order 鈥渟olutions鈥, off the hook .
The problem of violence against women is not primarily one of gender, or of one gender against the other. It is part of a much bigger problem caused by a system that is built around inequality and reinforced by social expectations about rigid gender roles.
We can help others see beyond the reactionary views of the Miranda Devines of the world, who are on a permanent crusade to shore up the inequality of the status quo including, it seems, going soft on rapists and murderers.
Predators exist, but most violence against women comes from people they know. It is a huge social and political problem, which we can all play a role in eradicating.
Men can and should play a role in challenging sexism and helping prevent violence against women, including by talking to our friends about consent, and stepping in to stop violence from taking place if we are able.
But we can also support the social movements demanding practical support and real immediate solutions for women escaping violence in the home 鈥 where most violence comes from.
Individual women should not be made to feel responsible for solving it themselves 鈥 which is, ultimately, Devine鈥檚 message.
[Viv Miley is a member of the Socialist Alliance.]