Men Need To Fix the System They Built. Not Protect Us From it.

Summary

The article calls for men to take responsibility for systemic issues they've created rather than offering superficial protection to women.

Abstract

The author expresses frustration over the narrative that men are protectors of women, arguing that this is a false narrative when men are often the perpetrators of violence against women. She points out that in the United States, a significant number of women experience physical violence and sexual assault, with many cases going unreported due to societal shame. The article emphasizes that women do not need protection from men but rather need men to stop inflicting harm and to hold each other accountable for sexism and violence. The author advocates for men to address the societal issues they have created and to support women's rights and autonomy, rather than stripping them of power under the guise of protection.

Opinions

The author is critical of the societal expectation that men are protectors of women, viewing it as a facade that ignores the reality of men's roles in perpetuating violence and sexism.
She highlights the pervasive nature of violence against women, citing statistics to underscore the severity of the issue.
The article condemns the idea that women need to be protected from societal dangers, asserting that these dangers are often created by men and that women are acutely aware of them.
The author argues that the concept of 'protection' has been used to justify infringements on women's rights and bodily autonomy.
She calls for men to actively challenge sexist behavior and language among their peers and to support survivors of assault.
The author insists that men must take concrete action to dismantle the systems of oppression they benefit from and have a duty to fix the issues they have created.
She dismisses performative acts of protection as insufficient and calls for genuine change in men's behavior and attitudes towards women.

We need you to fix what you built. That’s it.

I am so sick of the false narrative that men are just desperately trying to protect women.

Either they’re trying to protect women from getting hurt in sports or they’re trying to protect them from the supposed “heartache” of having an abortion. They try to give tips on how to “stay safe” from men.

But, let me tell you, the absolute rage that goes through me when I hear men say they are engaging in some sort of policy change or activity to “protect women” from trivial things is immeasurable.

Why? Because I know better.

In the United States, 1 in 3 women experiences some form of physical violence from a partner. 1 in 6 women will experience sexual assault. Keep in mind, these statistics don’t even include the countless women that never report, or will never admit in their life that they had experienced these things out of the shame placed on them by society. The shame stems from a society that makes them believe that the things that happen to women are somehow their fault or their responsibility to control.

Women don’t need your “protection.” We need men to stop hurting us, stop hating us, stop making us victims.

We need men to hold each other accountable for their sexism, for their violence, for their harm. We need men to look within themselves and fix the issues they created.

Women don’t need your false “protection.” We don’t need your “helpful” tips on how best not to get assaulted. We don’t need to be taught to hold our keys as a weapon as we walk to our car or told to yell “fire” instead of rape because more people will respond.

Women don’t need to be told of all the “dangers” in society, we already know, we live it, you created it. So often these false narratives of protection rely upon stripping women of their rights; of their rights to control their own bodies or their own lives for “their own good.”

Protection from men seems to continuously include a loss of power for women. Violence against women and sexism does not stem from women’s weakness. It comes from men's. It comes from the male fragility that is so used to hearing the word “yes” that the word “no” feels like an attack.

If you really want to protect women. Then act like it. Act like it by calling out your friend's sexist language and “jokes.” Act like it by supporting women who speak out about sexual assault. Act like it by not staying friends with someone who has abused women. Just… really… act like it.

We no longer want to hear about your performative protection. All it has done is cause more pain, more suffering, and a loss of rights. We need you to fix what you built. That’s it.

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