“Respect” is the title of a song, originally written and recorded by Otis Redding in 1965, but taken and transformed by soul legend Aretha Franklin into a women’s empowerment anthem. So successful was her rearrangement, which included changing up the chorus with the addition of words and a catchy bridge, that it earned her two Grammy awards in 1968. “Respect” went on to become almost synonymous with Ms Franklin, to the point that it is the title of her stirring biopic.
Yet, despite all the attention commanded in that sphere, women everywhere still find that respect for them as a group is sometimes deficient, and in many instances completely nonexistent. The patriarchal system that even now informs societal norms, and holds the mistaken belief that men, because of their gender ought to hold more or all political, economic, social and religious power is also rooted in a lack of respect for women. It is the reason women and girls are seen as less than. It is why their massive contributions to humanity are so devalued.
The question has often been philosophically asked: where would the world be without women? The only answer is that there would be no world. This is the sole truth regardless of your belief in how the population of the earth came to be. In fact, almost every living thing, in order to procreate requires the connection of masculine and feminine components. But, as is well known, it is the female that gestates, births and nurtures to ensure the continuance of the species. Why then, in the face of this, is gender equality still 131 years away (time by which the gender gap should be closed as measured by the World Economic Forum)? Any honest conclusion drawn would find disrespect, in various forms, at its base.
This same lack of respect is behind the ongoing pandemic that is gender-based violence, a human rights violation and health crisis that is failing to garner the attention and resources it needs to successfully be curbed. According to global data collected by the United Nations (UN), in 2022 some five women/girls were killed every hour by a man they knew (husband, partner, brother, father). Among the global population of women and girls (aged 15 and older) 736 million or almost one in every three have been subjected to physical or sexual violence at least once in their lives. Keep in mind that these numbers only reflect reported incidents, so the actual figures are likely much higher. There is also no indication that any of this has improved in 2023, if anything, the situation has likely gotten worse.
Unfortunately, data trends reveal a growing risk to adolescent girls (aged 15 to 19). Recent research by the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows that by the time they are 19, almost one in four girls who have been or are in a relationship have experienced psychological, physical or sexual abuse at the hands of a partner.
Furthermore, in keeping with changes in the world, technology-facilitated violence is also spreading. This includes stalking or tracking a partner or former partner as a means of control. One may also have heard of the sharing of explicit photos and messages either by spurned exes or strangers who were able to hack into the phones and computers where they were stored. There are numerous stories of women and girls who have been humiliated and devastated by this crime. It extends beyond this. Many women in public life experience online misogyny which includes cyberbullying and doxing (the public release of information such as their home addresses and telephone numbers). Those often targeted include women who are activists, journalists and politicians. The trolls perpetrating this crime usually hide behind layers of technology in order to avoid detection. What they cannot conceal, however, is their lack of respect.
The road to ending all forms of violence against women and girls has been difficult to navigate. Potholed as it is with patriarchy and ignorance, it requires real effort by all concerned to create a smooth path in order for this to take place. While international organisations like the UN and WHO have been conscientious in addressing this scourge, their mandate is global. They gather the data and crunch the numbers to indicate where the biggest problems exist, offer advice, appeal for, or arrange funding. However, none of them, nor any of the funding organisations and the strategies, initiatives and actions they devise, will be what drives the change that is necessary.
The work that must be done has to take place at the country and society levels. There has to be proper investment in women’s organisations, particularly those already in the trenches propelling women’s empowerment. There has to be investment in women by way of gender budgeting at the national level, deliberately ensuring that fiscal policies are established in a way that addresses inequality. This approach is only part of the preventative method to tackling the issue.
Importantly, too, there must be an end to the disrespect for women and a top-down strategy (beginning with men in authority) would be pivotal to achieving this. Women also have a role to play in this. As half of the electorate almost everywhere in the world, they can begin the shift by not voting for the well-known misogynist pretenders seeking power. How’s that for a new year’s resolution?
