Very interesting article Nida. Very well written.

I would like to focus on violence against women in the form of rape. It is an issue that seems to be an increasing problem across the globe and one that always outrages me. Hopefully, this encourages victims of rape to speak out and so become the voice of change, but more so, it will hopefully cause men to have greater respect for the opposite sex and do all they can to prevent such heinous behaviours.

Recommendations for the future course of sexual assault intervention and prevention must include increased male involvement in anti-rape efforts (see www.mencanstoprape.org), the formation of an official medium for national agencies, advocates, and other important partners to collaborate, develop and implement responsive public policy, and the removal of barriers that hinder victims from coming forward and keeping sexual offenders from being held accountable. The celebration of women through productions like The Vagina Monologues which has been performed globally(see www.vday.org) is also a positive step towards the revival of a spirit of non-violence, and I commend those brave and dynamic enough to use it as a medium to bring about positive change.

On the aforementioned issue of male responsibility for preventing sexual assault, it is my idea (as someone with a background in both Marketing and the Life and Behavioural Sciences) that more aggressive social marketing can be done to influence men to accept, modify, reject or abandon certain sexual behaviours (according to the stimulus of the developed campaign). It is true that most men are not coercive and do not want to victimize others. However, there are many pressures on men to be sexually active, to not express feelings, and to not show discomfort with other men’s behavior. “Research demonstrates that most men are uncomfortable with many of the ways that they have been taught to be men, including how to be sexual; they are uncomfortable with the sexism and inappropriate behavior of other men.”

See: http://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/assets/contentFiles/VicHealth%20VAW%20Campaigns%20Review.pdf proves to be a good source of information on this subject.)

Finally, let us do all that we can to make the sexual assault movement a priority issue on a global level. The critical goal is that all of our interactions progress towards embodying ideals of respect, growth and mutual empowerment. The time to act is now.