Module 17

Many laws have been created for the safety of women, and these were created as a response to problems in society.

I think laws are a necessary crutch to reducing the gap in gender inequality, though, these laws act as a double edge sword in that they both protect women and acknowledge that they require protection from someone other than themselves. Sweden is a nation where many laws ensure womens' safety. During some research I did for my PowerPoint presentation, statistics showed an increase in domestic abuse since the law had been enacted. The report (by the Swedish Institute) determined that this was due to more women reporting the actions against them, instead of keeping quiet.

It is regrettable that these violence laws are not created for both genders. Males, though not as frequently, also suffer from abuse; however, I feel voicing equal concern would be akin to focusing on white issues during the Civil Rights Movement. Yes, all races should receive the same treatment as the next, but there are more pressing issues to fix with these particular races at the moment. Men enjoy more privileges than women (even in countries that are considered to be progressive and civilized). I understand and am confident on my stance of gender equality; society, on the other hand, does not share the same view as I.

One parallel I found involves race and affirmative action. Realistically, there are little differences between blacks and whites outside of society. When both are taken in a social context, blacks have inherent disadvantages over whites. This disability is corrected by creating laws that give them the same privileges as whites. Often they are explicitly acknowledge that such rules were created especially from them as it is understood that whites would never require such assistance. The same can be seen for women and these laws. Though they are not disabled, they still require explicit assistance that men don't.