Mama of twins and Oklahoma reporter Drew McKenna is fed up with the ways in which women have become victims in a society running rampant with rape culture.
Men often question why women are so angry about the subject, so Jackson Katz, the first man to minor in women’s studies at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, decide to do some social research for himself.
In a viral Facebook post that has now been shared by over 416,000 people, McKenna relays Kratz’s work through an experiment he’s tried with hundreds of audiences.
Told through Katz’s perspective, the post draws significant attention to the vast differences that men and women experience in protecting themselves from sexual assault on a daily basis:
“I draw a line down the middle of a chalkboard, sketching a male symbol on one side and a female symbol on the other. Then I ask just the men: What steps do you guys take, on a daily basis, to prevent yourselves from being sexually assaulted? At first there is a kind of awkward silence as the men try to figure out if they’ve been asked a trick question. The silence gives way to a smattering of nervous laughter. Occasionally, a young a guy will raise his hand and say, ‘I stay out of prison.’ This is typically followed by another moment of laughter, before someone finally raises his hand and soberly states, ‘Nothing. I don’t think about it.’
Then I ask the women the same question. What steps do you take on a daily basis to prevent yourselves from being sexually assaulted? Women throughout the audience immediately start raising their hands. As the men sit in stunned silence, the women recount safety precautions they take as part of their daily routine.
‘Hold my keys as a potential weapon.’
‘Look in the back seat of the car before getting in.’
‘Carry a cell phone.’
‘Don’t go jogging at night.’
‘Lock all the windows when I sleep, even on hot summer nights.’
‘Be careful not to drink too much.’
‘Don’t put my drink down and come back to it; make sure I see it being poured.’
‘Own a big dog.’
‘Carry Mace or pepper spray.’
‘Have an unlisted phone number.’
‘Have a man’s voice on my answering machine.’
‘Park in well-lit areas.’
‘Don’t use parking garages.’
‘Don’t get on elevators with only one man, or with a group of men.’
‘Vary my route home from work.’
‘Watch what I wear.’
‘Don’t use highway rest areas.’
‘Use a home alarm system.’
‘Don’t wear headphones when jogging.’
‘Avoid forests or wooded areas, even in the daytime.’
‘Don’t take a first-floor apartment.’
‘Go out in groups.’
‘Own a firearm.’
‘Meet men on first dates in public places.’
‘Make sure to have a car or cab fare.’
‘Don’t make eye contact with men on the street.’
‘Make assertive eye contact with men on the street.’
― Jackson Katz, The Macho Paradox: Why Some Men Hurt Women and How All Men Can Help
(The first man to minor in women’s studies at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, holds a master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a Ph.D. in cultural studies and education from UCLA.)”
Enlighten men and empower other women by sharing this profound research with your family and friends on Facebook!
