Taylor Swift lawsuit: let's talk about violence against women
Taylor Swift lawsuit: let’s talk about violence against women
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In a welcome and important victory this week, Taylor Swift won her lawsuit against David Mueller, the radio DJ who groped her at a photo shoot in 2013. A jury in Denver, USA, found Mueller guilty of assault and battery, and ordered him to pay Swift the symbolic amount of $1 that she had asked for. In a statement following the verdict, Swift recognised all those “who feel silenced by sexual assault” and powerfully said "I acknowledge the privilege that I benefit from in life, in society and in my ability to shoulder the enormous cost of defending myself in a trial like this. My hope is to help those whose voices should also be heard." Swift touches on a key point – her lawsuit shone an important spotlight on the violence that women face going about their daily lives, from the work place, to the home, to the street. For every case that hits the headlines, like Swift’s and that of American musician Kesha, there are millions of women who face daily violence, most often at the hands of a partner or family member, that goes unreported, or where perpetrators escape justice.
We need to talk about violence
We desperately need to talk about violence against women and girls. And we need to talk about both prevention and response. Violence against women and girls is not confined to a class, race or country – it is a global problem, affecting 35% of women worldwide. Research has shown that both intimate partner violence and non-partner rape are fundamentally related to unequal gender norms, power inequalities and dominant ideals of manhood that support violence and control over women. Despite decades of human rights frameworks, legislation and campaigning by women’s movements for a more gender equal world, with some notable successes, gender inequality remains entrenched in all aspects of society, and in all countries in the world.
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Prevention is possible
Governments have obligations under international human rights law to exercise due diligence in the prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls. Reliance on criminal justice systems is not a substitute for efforts to tackle the root causes of violence and will have limited impact if women and girls are unable to access institutions due to social barriers. For example, the World Bank’s World Development Report 2012 shows that the main reasons given by women survivors of violence for not seeking help were a perception of violence as being normal and justified, and feeling embarrassed, guilty and ashamed.
Our work with women’s rights organisations points to the crucial role of women-led organisations in driving forward community-level change to prevent violence, tackling the harmful social norms that normalise and perpetuate violence. Our Prevention is Possible report shows that the most effective interventions to end violence against women and girls are community-based, challenge attitudes, norms and behaviours, empower women and girls and make a long term commitment to communities. Increasing women’s agency and supporting women to come together to know and claim their rights is critical in combating violence. This includes providing women-only safe spaces, supporting women to become financially independent, providing training on rights and supporting women to take leadership positions. It is local and national women's rights organisations that are best placed to lead and deliver work to prevent violence against women and girls. Yet they are operating on a shoe string, unable to meet the demand and need.
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https://www.womankind.org.uk/blog/detail/our-blog/2017/08/16/taylor-swift-lawsuit-let-s-talk-about-violence-against-women