: The ‘Industry’ Fueling Violence
In other news – though it should be on the front page every day – today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Talking about ending such a deep-rooted issue in a society built on patriarchy feels like trying to pull up concrete with bare hands.
In a country – and a world – where the phallus still symbolizes power, authority, and ownership, the system seems set up to keep unequal relationships going. But here we are, where one woman has come after 50 years to change things. Here, where some still see it as ‘bold’ and ‘irrational,’ instead of normal.
In this part of the world, when a woman talks about her husband, she means someone she committed to. When a man talks about ‘his woman,’ often the ‘his’ sounds more like ownership than companionship. It’s no accident; it’s telling.
Violence doesn’t start with a fist. It starts with how we think. From cheering for the 15-year-old son who ‘became a man,’ while shaming the 15-year-old daughter who also responds to her body’s needs. From wage gaps that quietly say a woman’s worth is less. From the ‘small’ things we easily ignore but hurt deeply. From unspoken ‘musts’ passed down through generations like a dark family treasure.
If we really want to talk about ending gender-based violence, we must change our old-fashioned thinking. We need to let go of ideas and so-called ‘values’ that keep us stuck in a cycle that allows abuse. Violence isn’t just random acts; it’s part of the system. And the system changes only when the people who support it change.
Be that man then. Not the one who sees himself as an owner or judge. Be the one who sees equality without footnotes, without ‘yes, but,’ and without exceptions when it hits home.
When it comes to raising kids, let’s be honest: a teenager isn’t a blank slate or a passive being. They are individuals shaping their views, boundaries, and identity. They don’t learn these things when locked away in a supposed protective bubble; they learn them when given space, when you make sure they are informed, respected, and taught to demand respect. The basic idea is simple: when you teach a child about boundaries, consent, and rights over their own body, you create a teenager who can make healthy choices. Not because they ‘grew up,’ but because you prepared them.
On the flip side, when parents treat natural things as curses and make discussions about relationships, bodies, and sexuality taboo, children look for answers on their own. And often find them in the wrong places and ways.
So then, with what right will we ask ‘why?’ — when we never bothered to explain ‘how?’
Ending violence isn’t just one day a year or wearing a ribbon. It’s about how we raise children, how we talk, act, and see equality.
It’s about choosing to break down the patriarchal culture that taught us someone ‘belongs’ to someone else.
If we truly want a world without gender-based violence, we must create from scratch a world where no woman has to ask for what should be obvious: respect.
Papa – Ratsis
