Our class discussions on fear in public space and how fear is experienced by different groups of people reminded me of the Take Back the Night walks that take place in Athens and other places. The Take Back the Night (TBTN) foundation originated from founder Katie Koestner’s testimony of a campus “date” rape crime in 2001. Koestner was the first woman in the U.S. to publicly come forward about such an incident. The first events held in 2001 aimed to create networks that shared the stories of survivors, provided resources, and share information. The foundation currently “collects anecdotes photos, memorabilia and oral histories from those who have participated in TBTN events around the world” (Take Back the Night, 2019). The main goals of the foundation are to end sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual abuse and all forms of sexual violence against all gender identities. On the main page for the foundation’s website, the jarring statistics are shown:
“1 in 3 women worldwide experience some form of sexual violence or intimate partner violence. 1 in 6 men experience sexual violence. Less than 50% of victims report these crimes”.
Take Back The Night in Athens, Ohio 2018.
In class, we talked about the differences in violence that men and women experience and the places in which that violence occurs. Although it is known that men are far more likely to experience violence in public spaces, society has conditioned women and girls to fear public spaces. Due to this instilled fear, women are inhibited in their use of public spaces and therefore constrict their actions based on time of day, location and the type of space of a given area. In the context of the U.S., it is likely that any given woman has constricted her use of public space due to fear of assault, harassment, or violence regardless of the area in which she lives. One of the issues that results with this restriction of public space experienced by women, is the nature of responses or actions that take place when women do not abide by this social construct.
The article written by Alec Brownlow describing the geography of men’s fear, compared female and male experiences in Cobbs Creek Park. Female teenagers were much more likely to assert that the park was not safe, while their male counterparts viewed the park as relatively safe or safe. What was interesting from the study was the different reasonings behind Cobbs Creek Park being a dangerous spot. Older girls were afraid of entering the park alone/in a group and at night for fear of being raped or attacked, while the surveyed boys were more afraid of male threats.
Cobbs Creek Park present day.
When questioned by the moderator during the questioning period of the research, several of the males denied sexual assaults occurring in the park and attributed female dress as the reasoning behind any attacks that did happen. Examples such as this where victims are blamed for the occurrence of assaults is one of the many ways that male figures stay in power in society. Reminders such as this of the thoughts of certain people can cause women to live their lives in fear than risk violence and the negative opinions of others. The Take Back the Night foundation and awareness of sexual assault and violence provides hope that some day women can exist in public spaces equally and fairly.
Sources:
Brownlow, Alec. 2005. “A Geography of Men’s Fear.” Geoforum 36:581-592.
The TBTN March is a great example of action taken to change the kinds of spatial exclusion that result from gendered geographies of fear! Though TBTN gained momentum in the early 2000s, the movement has its origins in second-wave feminism of the 1960s/70s. As such, it has been interesting to see how the marches have developed, particularly here in Athens. Traditionally, the march here (like many marches) was designed for and run by women, with some men (i.e. allys) lining the streets where the march processed as a form of protection and support. A few years ago, there was a discussion to expand the Athens march beyond a woman-only space. Many second-wave movements have had to reckon with this expansion, which is essential for including trans women in women's spaces and more recently, gender-nonconforming/non-binary individuals as well. The refocusing of TBTN on an intersectional understanding of violence, that includes male survivors of sexual assault, violence against LGBTQ populations, and colonial/racialized violence is an important step in countering these geographies of fear, and an example of the evolution of a social movement over time.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you brought up the fact that even though men are more likely to experience violence in public than women, we are still taught to fear it. We still are told not to walk alone at night are coached to always be thinking of a course of action to take if we run into danger. Teaching women to not be alone in public space is not for our safety, it is for our control. We have been conditioned to think that the world is a scary place to be alone, when in reality we are at more danger in our own spaces by those we know. It is really interesting to look closer and see why we are taught to be afraid of the unknown. I think that the patriarchal society in which we live has brainwashed us all to believe that we are at more danger in public so that those men as a whole will not have to give up their dominance, thus maintaining a system in which women are fearful. ‘Take Back the Night’ is such an eye-opening and freeing event. My cousin once asked why this event takes place, and I had to explain to him that it was a night for women to fearlessly relish in public space - space that by name is supposed to be meant for all people. He had never been forced to consider this perspective, and I think that says a lot about how we treat women in this society. This is why I am a proud feminist and always will be.
ReplyDeleteKaia, I think your post on geographies of fear is so interesting. I especially like how you mentioned the Take Back The Night March; these marches are so important for women as they feel they are reclaiming a particular space that is usually forbidden out of fear. For women in particular, we are conditioned to fear certain places or times of day. This restricts us so much in the activities we can partake in. For me, personally, I know I can only run at certain times of day because running alone in the dark is "dangerous" and makes me "susceptible to violence". Often, I have to choose between school work, rest, or running in order to maintain a feeling of safety during exercise. A few years ago as in intern in Chicago, my sister and other girls in her cohort were tasked with starting a movement about something they were passionate about; they created a campaign called Despite the Dark which focuses on empowering women to claim the space that is rightfully theirs despite the dark. DTD has grown since its creation a few years ago and now sponsers night runs across the country and has even appeared in articles in Runners World Magazine. I think this is a perfect example of how, although there is fear surrounding the geography or culture of certain places, we can work together as a community to rewrite the narrative.
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