Femme Fatale
A World Without Rape
We’ve already talked about victim-blaming. We’ve already talked about the societal pressures that make it hard for women to report, or even admit to themselves that what happened to them was “rape.” We’ve already heard the brave stories from sexual assault survivors. But people still don’t get it, apparently.
Naked Bodies
But at the same time, society hates seeing the female body. When a mother breastfeeds in a restaurant, we cringe and tell her to put her breasts away. When a businesswoman wears a blouse that reveals just a little too much cleavage, we talk about how unprofessional she is. When a schoolgirl wears a skirt that is an inch too short, we ask her to please go back home and change because she is distracting her male classmates and her male teachers, and a man’s right to not get aroused in school is much more important than a woman’s right to an education.
When Love Hurts
However, when we look closely at the story, concerning elements emerge. In “Twilight,” Edward has a habit of sneaking into Bella’s room to watch her sleep. In the books, this is shown as the height of romance. In real life? Not so much.
The Girl Who Cried Rape
And yet, progress for campus sexual assault survivors is repeatedly stymied. The system for rape reporting continues to fail survivors. Between improperly processed rape kits and inadequate counseling services, sexual assault survivors on college campuses are routinely confronted with a system that seems to be working against them, rather than for them. Who is upholding this broken system, and protecting sexual assault perpetrators at the expense of survivors?
