(To some) Feminists - why do you ignore male issues? This is a serious question?

Question

I was watching a clip from BBC's Free Speech show (if you don't know, it's where a panel gets together with an audience and discusses national issues live) and one of the topics was, "Is Britain sexist?"

It ended up with 4 people arguing about domestic abuse and sexual exploitation, etc. But only about women. And when audience members pointed this out, twice, the panel members never responded for more than one brief answer. It just went back to women.

So, I'm wondering - why are male issues ignored? Rather, I know why they're ignored (considering the West's, and pretty much the whole world's previously male-led society in history), but do you think it's right? I know it isn't all feminists - they're the ones who shine through.

So why are key figures like 50% of domestic abuse victims are male left out? What about male-on-male rape and female-on-male rape? What about male homelessness (females have a preference in being helped)? What about male genital mutilation - circumcisions? Did you scoff at the last one? Why?

I'm a woman who want equality, so I'm genuinely curious about this. I'll explain all this to my sister - she'll say: "No, women are sexualised so much!" So I'll go "Oh, but you remember Hollister's bags?" For those who don't know, they feature a faceless topless man. "Or how about that yoghurt advert (can't remember which) where the women has 4 male topless 'slaves' who she uses as a footrest?"

She laughs awkwardly, and then says nothing.
So?

Answer 1

I used to feel the same way. But the truth is that women are raped and murdered by almost exclusively men. Where do you get the "50% of domestic abuse victims are male" statistic? Many studies and scientific evidence as well as simple logic and observation would indicate otherwise.



The panel was talking about women because the topic was about sexism. And most sexism is toward women. This is not an arguable opinion, this is a fairly obvious fact. As a man I do think that women are sexist toward me. Many times I say something nice to a woman or respond when her kid says something to me and I get a look of "why the hell are you talking to me" and "stay away from my kid creepy man who is friendly to children." Of course this might just be because while most men are decent people, a small minority of them account for the vast majority of rape and child molestation. So really it's not them so much being sexist as just being realistic. I get it. It just sucks that by being male, I will forever walk in the wake of other males aggression.

Answer 2

1-4 women experience domestic violence in their lifetime. 1-6 men . Two women a week are killed at the hands of a partner (104) , 6 -8 men a year (Home office). A woman is attacked on average 35 times (ELBOW) before reporting a partner/ex-partner to the police. The majority of children murdered are murdered by their parents ratio 8-10 are killed by a male 2-10 by their mother. Strong correlation between domestic violence and child maltreatment (NSPCC).



In answer to your question the reason this panel was talking about women's issues and not males is because historically men have abused their patriarchal (we live in a patriarchal system) position to abuse and ignore women's rights, the right to exist outside male control and their issues, which if you think about it issues they made for themselves under their own rule.How does a society that is patriarchal exist is at the heart of feminism , when 52% of the world is made up of women?!. Is equality in the majority?



Women's issues have only just surfaced, thanks to the suffragettes, do you know if a woman was robbed up to 1924 , her husband had to take the person to court as her handbag was considered his property!!!!!



PS I am not a feminist, but I am a humanitarian.

Answer 3

Most feminists DO focus on issues that are all around humanitarian. This includes societal influences on both genders and children, LGBT issues, "women's issues"(created by "the patriarchy" which is also what causes the male problems as well) many do not realize that most feminists and MRAs are actually fighting for the EXACT same thing. If you want to know more I would suggest typing iti google "feminist blogs" (and while there are good tumblr ones, I would suggest you avoid those for now) or try googling "how the patriarchy affects men negatively"



ALSO, there are many male feminists, if that makes it easier to accept for you.

Answer 4

I think if someone is an activist like me, they usually have a host of issues that they are concerned about. Almost all the activists I know call themselves feminists (male and female) as a nod to the historical discrimination women have faced but this does not mean they ignore discrimination men face, or minorities face, or the huge impact people are having on the environment. The feminists I know personally likely work more on male issues than most MRAs and yet MRAs portray us as sexist - this is not what I see at all.

Answer 5

Feminists were originally created for women and girls not men and boys. The name speaks for itself. They might care about some men and boys issues but the number one priority is women and girls. They will always be of the utmost importance. This is where MRAs come in. I'm not gonna argue whether or not they should come together, change their name, cease to exist, or whatever I am just explaining what is. I dont know why this simple fact angers people or results in arguments. Yes feminism is primarily about women. And? Anyone who says otherwise is being disingenuous. Yes they might do some thing for men and boys but the main target and focus in women. But again this is where MRA's come in.

Answer 6

This is an excerpt from a conversation I had with a feminist I went to highshcool with. I **** you not.



"So, feminism is all about women's rights, isnt it? Equality and such?"

"Yes it is. Women are equal to men in every way."

"Well, I do agree with you. But what makes you feel that the female gender isnt the weaker sex?"

"Because we can do anything you can do, and sometimes we even do it better, whether it's physical or professional, or anything else. The only problem is, we cant show it because we're held back by male leaders and employers. They dont give us as good of a job as they do other men, and they dont pay us as much."

"Alright, I think that's a very-much-so generalized statement fringed with ignorance, but alright. Let's say you're correct. That makes you a victim?"

"..... *stare* Yes, it does. Women are victims of men, both professionally and sexually."

"Oh, sexually?"

"Yes, do you have any idea how many women are abused every year? How are sexually assaulted or molested?"

"About the same as the number of men who are. Tell me something... Why do you think the women that are abused, sexually assaulted, or raped are in a worse state than the men who are?"

"... because they cant defend themselves against the predators that do it to them. Men can always just push a woman away from himself."

"You mean with physical force against a woman by a man? Abuse. And why cant women defend themselves?"

"Because the men are stronger and can overpower them, of course."

"So the female gender is the weaker sex?"

"I'm not speaking to you anymore."



Logic.

Answer 7

Feminist groups have been active in pushing social change for a long time, and naturally have done this from a feminist perspective. Your statement about 50% of domestic violence being perpetrated by women is correct and comes from two studies done by respected universities. I work in child protection and work with just as many children neglected and abused by women as by men. Men are much more likely to be prosecuted for this however, same as they are for rape or violence. Statistics also show that just as many men are murdered by women as women killed by men, but prosecutions and sentences do not reflect this. I think at least in part these inequities occur because men tend to "suck it up" and not complain, whereas women have been taught by the feminist movement the value of playing victim. I think this is slowly changing, at least I hope so

Answer 8

Feminists are only concerned with what is relevant to themselves. Why are children's issues also ignored? The media & education system demonizes men & is attempting to downgrade them. Men can't be raped by women & they are man enough to deal with abuse from a woman more than a woman can from a man, but that doesn't mean its not wrong or that men are unaffected by it. The powers that be use those advantages that men have, even those who are being abused as an excuse to ignore such male issues because it goes against their agenda to present men as villains. Females sexualize themselves by dressing like sIuts & whoring around.

Answer 9

I'm really saddened that all these people have had negative experiences with feminists... I know the name connotates women who hate men, but that's not truth. I am concerned for men and their issues, very much. It's just usually women who draw the short straw, so I tend to focus on theirs.

Answer 10

"So why are key figures like 50% of domestic abuse victims are male left out? What about male-on-male rape and female-on-male rape?"



I don't think they do specifically, and certainly not intentionally.



There are many factors at work here:



Domestic violence has only been taken seriously for the last couple of decades, largely thanks to feminist initiatives demanding that it be recognised and properly investigated, and also by providing support for victims who want to speak out. Historically the focus has been on female victims simply because they make up the vast majority of victims of serious abuse.



(your 50% statistic is actually only true for milder categories of abuse and does not encompass the general population of victims. The surveys it is based on make that clear so it is not accurate to make the blanket assumption that men make up 50% of DV victims).



In the last 5 years or so there has been increased attention given to the nature of DV, and studies done into understanding patterns of abuse with a view to understanding who might be at risk and how best to tackle the problem. These studies are funded by (amongst others) feminists who fought for VAWA to ringfence funding for this purpose, but it is a relatively new venture, given that VAWA has had to fight against stiff opposition at every turn.



As a result of this focus and attention, NOW has sucessfully petitioned government to change the legal definition of rape to include male victims, and there has been a huge outcry about the institutionalised rape culture that exists in the military, which affects huge numbers of male victims.



Statutory rape is also a tricky one and it is taking time for society to recognise that women can and do sexually abuse boys. But this is largely a patriarchial legacy in the sense that society celebrates and even admires a boy who is able to lose his virginity at a young age to an older woman a la Mrs Robinson. Consensual statutory rape is not treated the same way as non consensual child abuse (and neither should it be else we will have a lot of young people treated as rapists for having sex with their slightly underage partners). And when it comes to non consensual child abuse and exploitation, the vast majority of offenders are male and the nature of the crime is potentially far more serious. Feminists do not differentiate between male and female victims in these instances: a young child is still a young child regardless of sex. The only time the sex of the victim is relevent is when potential victims who are at risk are being identified, and this always depends on context.



There is a popular idea that feminists do not care about male victims, but this is not actually true when you explore the study and research that goes into informing public policy. The conversations might occur in reference to female victims, but that is all.

Answer 11

Every person cannot focus on every issue, or even every aspect of a particular issue. So people focus their attention on whatever they are most passionate about. It doesn't mean that they don't care about the issues that they are seeming to ignore. They are just doing what they can to deal with the problems that mean the most to them.

Answer 12

Feminists are concerned with women issues. The clue is in the name.

Answer 13

Feminists are concerned with women issues. The clue is in the name.

Answer 14

Feminists don't necessarily need to spend their time defending Net Neutrality.



They don't necessarily need to spend their time fighting for animal rights.



They don't necessarily need to spend their time arguing against excessive gerrymandering.



There's nothing wrong with being part of a group that advocates for one specific thing, instead of for every conceivable thing anyone might find worthwhile.

Answer 15

Feminism is originally about equality. They protect the rights of both men and women. Feminists were heavily involved with civil rights, rights for women and children and more. Modern feminist organization have become more focused exclusively on women’s rights because they were overlooked in the earlier efforts.

Answer 16

I *wish* they ignored men's issues.



Unfortunately, they're quite involved with them...they protest and send death threats to those trying to resolve said issues, spread false statistics and make great efforts to slander any opposition as misogynistic.

Answer 17

There are feminist women on this forum who have seriously stated that both women's AND men's rights matter to them......yes, and these are "some feminists".....I would imagine that the focal point of these groups focus on the very gender of whom they represent. That makes sense, of course.

Answer 18

B/c they're sexists. That's my serious answer.

Answer 19

B/c they're sexists. That's my serious answer.

Answer 20

Feminists are concerned with women issues. The clue is in the name.

Answer 21

B/c they're sexists. That's my serious answer.

Answer 22

Feminists are concerned with women issues. The clue is in the name.

Answer 23

B/c they're sexists. That's my serious answer.

Answer 24

Why does the MRA movement ignore women issues?

Answer 25

B/c they're sexists. That's my serious answer.

Answer 26

B/c they're sexists. That's my serious answer.

Answer 27

Why does the MRA movement ignore women issues?

Answer 28

Feminists are concerned with women issues. The clue is in the name.

Answer 29

Why does the MRA movement ignore women issues?

Answer 30

B/c they're sexists. That's my serious answer.

Answer 31

Yes can we please include male rapes as well so that when someone throws around rape, and the term rape is attached to both identities (gender wise), both sides will see just how serious it is.







"The moment a man enlists in the United States armed forces, his chances of being sexually assaulted increase by a factor of ten. A certain kind of officer demands sex from underlings in the same way he demands they pick up his laundry. A certain kind of recruit rapes his peer in a sick mimicry of the power structure: I own you totally."

"One of the myths is that the perpetrators identify as gay, which is by and large not the case," says James Asbrand, a psychologist with the Salt Lake City VA's PTSD clinical team. "It's not about the sex. It's about power and control."

"RICHARD WELCH

AIR FORCE AND ARMY, 1973–82

I was coming in and out of consciousness. He kept saying, "You're going to like this."JONES

I still don't believe I didn't bring this on. I keep telling myself, If only I hadn't had a few beers that night. If only I hadn't invited him back to my room. I tried to resist. He was just so ******* strong."

JAMES ASBRAND

PSYCHOLOGIST, SALT LAKE CITY VA

There's the fear that "if other people know this about me, well, then, my life is over. No one's gonna want to be around me. They'll know that I'm less of a man.""

-http://www.gq.com/long-form/male-military-rape



"Betts then produced a knife and ordered his victim into his bedroom. He raped him twice in three hours. Horrific violence; terrible bruises. Betts then told the man (falsely) that he was HIV-positive. He also said he would stab him to death to prevent him telling anyone what had happened." http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/inside-story-when-man-rapes-man-victims-darent-report-it-the-law-wont-recognise-it-the-public-cant-understand-it-but-gradually-the-taboos-around-male-rape-are-breaking-down-reports-simon-garfield-1561882.html



"Men in the military can and do get raped by the thousands every year. Survivors of rape typically suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and other mental health challenges after their assault. Surviving sexual assault and suffering from it does not make a man less of a man."

http://mic.com/articles/99820/about-14-000-men-in-the-military-were-raped-last-year-almost-none-will-report-it

Answer 32

Feminists? You mean, insecure woman with identity issues?



They are egotistical, narcissistic and always arguing because they want to justify why they can behave in a way they shouldnt.

Answer 33

Why does the MRA movement ignore women issues?

Answer 34

Feminists are concerned with women issues. The clue is in the name.

Answer 35

Why does the MRA movement ignore women issues?

Answer 36

Feminists are concerned with women issues. The clue is in the name.

Answer 37

B/c they're sexists. That's my serious answer.

Answer 38

B/c they're sexists. That's my serious answer.

Answer 39

Why does the MRA movement ignore women issues?

Answer 40

Feminists are concerned with women issues. The clue is in the name.

Answer 41

B/c they're sexists. That's my serious answer.

Answer 42

Why does the MRA movement ignore women issues?

Answer 43

Why does the MRA movement ignore women issues?

Answer 44

Feminists are concerned with women issues. The clue is in the name.

Answer 45

Feminists are concerned with women issues. The clue is in the name.

Answer 46

Why would they pay attention to the rights of men when they can profit from lying?

Answer 47

Why does the MRA movement ignore women issues?

Answer 48

they dont care about men