Wednesday, May 04, 2011

Bill on abstinence-focused sex education, for girls only, passes first reading in the Commons - The F Word

See Liberal Conspiracy for more on this.

I’m with these groups’ bloggers when they say that we have to unite to fight this. I think this means NOW. We cannot let a victim-blaming, misogynistic law affect the way young women are educated and socialised - especially in a society where the rape conviction rate remains horrifically low and one in four women experiences domestic violence.

Dorries’ use of the rhetoric of sexualisation of society is particularly insidious here. Many feminists, myself included, agree that this is a growing problem. What we don’t do is shift the responsibility for this onto women. Society always moves first to change women, rather than men - and when this is victim-blaming, it’s particularly worrying. Dorries is serving the patriarchy by drawing on feminist language and themes. It’s terrifying. Disabled people know how nasty Dorries’ attacks on specific social groups can be. She needs, quite frankly, to be stopped.

Feminist bloggers, are your groups thinking of doing something about this? I’m lacking a local group, but I do some work with UK Feminista. I’m hoping we’ll get to address this, and Dorries’ related anti-abortion campaign, at the Summer School. I need to get involved in a group, but it’s tricky when you’re not in either London or a large university. Hmm.

Thoughts, anyone?

(Daily Blogging Attempt Month, Day 4. Cross posted to my tumblr blog.)

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