Rape culture is something that’s been a large topic of debate across first world countries, debating if rape culture exists in our society or if it does not. Whether you believe in a rape culture or not, you must agree that the way we handle rape convictions and rape victims needs a change. Women are slowly given the opportunity to speak up about their experiences with rape, with the power of the #MeTooMovement. We see those who are given the opportunity to be able to hear more and more victims story and retrieve justice to them. What is more appalling that we are now hearing stories that we should have heard a long time ago. Women’s free speech of their victimization has been put on hold for far too long, and this still continues today. Many are afraid of being marginalized and understand that not society reactions may vary. If the Calgary Herald is looking to promote feministic philosophy, allowing a place for all those who have fallen victim to sexual assault or rape to voice their stories is a great place to start.
The Calgary Herald’s Alex Wong published an editorial, that emphasized the importance of listening to victims’ stories and not completely shunning the victim’s story. People are quick to turn down a story. Wong also states that the freedom to speak our mind is a right of all citizens. The time of an occurrence does not matter if that means a crime was committed. If someone was murdered five years ago, and it got reported today, it would be reported and taken just as seriously as if it was reported five years ago. Sexual assault should be treated the same way. It should not matter when it is reported in order for it to be taken seriously. Many factors are included when it comes to women not reporting their sexual assaults, it is one of the most underreported offenses. The stigma around rape and sexual assault contribute to this. It’s not just women in their twenties dealing with sexual harassment, it’s teenagers also facing sexual abuse. The federal department also stated that self-reported sexual assault has not increased or decreased for 2004 to 2014. This also means that they are many sexual assault/rapes incidents that are going unreported every year. This is just in Canada, let alone North America. Victims are sharing their stories online which are sparking controversy with positive and negative reactions. Brett Kavanaugh has also been caught in this controversial topic. Kavanaugh has allegedly of sexual misbehavior. He has been supported by the fact that his delinquency was “thing of the past”, that what they do as young men, doesn’t suggest what type of person they are in the present. Many also concerned at the time his victim took to come out with the sexual assault. Wong on the behalf of the Calgary Herald does believe in different opinions, but they mainly believe in free speech for those who are victims to sexual assault. They believe that we should actively be working on giving all victims a space to share their stories and not shutting them down when they do so.
The stigma around rape and sexual assault hurt more people than we realize. Women who have been victims of sexual assault or rape are treated in society as the unlucky ones or they are seen as the girls to avoid talking about at gatherings. “Raped women are fallen, women. Pushed really, but the shame is on them…” (Doe, 541). Jane Doe is an anti-rape writer and she discusses how women who have been raped are seen as helpless, not regular human beings. She also discusses how rape is advantageous in our society because it is a device of sexism. “In Canada, the government statistics are that one in four men would rape if given the opportunity” (Doe, 543), which addresses that there is a rape culture in our society. This stems from men being taught from a young age, that in order to be a man, you must be tough and apathetic. She addresses how sexual assault victims underreport, because of factors such if you knew the assaulter, what you were wearing or even how much you were drinking can determine whether the court will empathize your case. Doe also gives us the statistic “that 75 to 80 percent of reported rapes are committed by men known to the women involved” (Doe, 543), this is another reason why some women will not report their sexual assault. The Calgary Herald and Jane Doe would agree that women need to be able to use their free speech to stand up and share their stories, but the government also needs to pay attention to these alarming statistics and to provide women with the tools to do so.
Sex workers are at the highest risk of sexual assault and misconduct, yet they are the least worried about. “Sex work is rarely perceived as a form of work, but rather as a social problem that requires elimination or containment” (Clamen and Gillies, 637), when your work is seen as a problem, your stories will not get the same recognition or won’t be seen as valid. Even with decriminalization, sex workers are still at risk of violence. Personal and workplace safety isn’t seen as a right for them as it is for everyone else. This can be a problem with women speaking out, about their sexual assault, because they aren’t seen as valued as say a woman who got raped who worked in finance. Some sex workers are forced into the trade, and it’s their only mean of income, so they are unable to speak out on sexual violence and possibly cannot afford the trial. This includes trans women, who are at a very high risk of violence. The Calgary Herald discussed that anyone who has been the target of sexual assault should be able to use their free speech to do so whether you are an accountant or a sex worker, you should be able to speak out on your story about sexual violence. Indigenous women also fall victim to being silenced about their interactions with sexual harassment
Indigenous women are at extreme risk of all types of violence not only sexual violence. “Aboriginal women in Canada report rates of violence including domestic violence and sexual assault 3.5 times higher than non-Aboriginal women” (FAFIA, 555). Indigenous women have for centuries, suffering and silencing that suffering. This suffering impacts how Indigenous women will value their freedom of speech. When Aboriginal women and girls “experience both high levels of sexual abuse and violence in their own and families and communities, and high levels of stranger violence in the broader society” (FAFIA, 555), they are unable to know who to trust, with their freedom of speech or unsure of what impact it might even make. With a large number of Aboriginal women disappearing and getting murdered, you almost see that the freedom to speak up about their experiences with violence is always too late. They are not encouraged to speak up right away. They do not get the same opportunity to be open about their experiences because society has shown time and time again, even if they do get the opportunity, they will not be taken as seriously as other women in Canadian society. Indigenous women are in desperate need of being able to use their freedom of speech and having society respond without shutting their experiences down.
The Calgary Herald promotes feminist thinking by reminding us that all women who experienced any type of sexual harassment and sexual assault should use their Canadian constitutional right of freedom to speech and speak out about their stories. All Canadian women whether you are trans, woman of color, or a sex worker, who has suffered the hardship of sexual assault now or many years you should always have the right to speak up about it. The Calgary Herald also reminds us as a society to support those who come forward and not be so quick and ignorant of shutting their stories down.