And another woman is dead. Six women were murdered in October alone. The great political outrage? It stays away. Apparently we’ve already given up on stopping femicide.
It is significant when there is a large-scale press conference for every petitesse, while in the field of femicide there is no government politician who publicly warns, condemns or gives hope. Even the Minister of Women’s Affairs did not feel it necessary to say anything. This is particularly bitter.
Toxic masculinity as a fundamental problem
The silence of the audience is part of the problem. Until there is a wholesale rethink of how women should be treated, the degradation, devaluation, intimidation and ultimately murder will continue. The underlying problem of all these misogynistic phenomena is toxic masculinity. Even though many people don’t want to hear it.
The root of evil
The idea that women have less value, have no right to make independent decisions or are merely sex objects is the root of evil. This results in violence and the appropriate pseudo-justification for it. To be clear: this does not mean that all men in our country are like this. There are many great men! But we cannot close our eyes to the fact that there are some among us with this image of women. Unfortunately, that is the reality.
What we have to do
This makes it all the more important to take a united stand against any violence against women. We must say consistently and loudly: that is not okay, that is not how our society wants it! It’s about courageously speaking out against toxic behavior. We cannot just shrug our shoulders and be the European leader on femicide. We can do better, that’s enough!
Best politics, best minister for women
Dear politicians, dear Minister of Women’s Affairs, that is also your task. If you find time for debates about money and normality, you will surely find an opportunity to condemn violence against women, right?
Source: Krone
I am George Kunkel, an author working for Today Times Live. I specialize in opinion pieces and cover stories that are both informative and thought-provoking – helping to shape public discourse on key issues. My work is regularly featured across the network’s many platforms, including print media and social media.
