#YesAllWomen
By: Ghazal Azizzada
Women & Gender Studies Social Media Intern
Following the misogynistic UC Santa Barbara shooting in 2014, women everywhere launched a social media response, #YesAllWomen, to address the issue of sexism and violence against women. In light of Women’s History Month, this infamous hashtag is a shining example of the hardships allwomen face due to gender inequality.
Despite the international movement that this shooting and consequent hashtag sparked, it took less than 48 hours for the defensive #NotAllMen to start trending. There is no doubt that this is extremely problematic as it derails women’s courageous attempts to speak out against misogyny and deflects from the difficult, yet important, topics that are introduced.
Elliot Rodger’s motive for killing six people and injuring 14 others stemmed from what he claimed was his hatred of women that was established after being rejected by them for most of his life. His detailed “manifesto” is an embodiment of how fragile masculinity is, and also how harmful sexism is in our society. From Rodger’s blatant expectancy of women to have sex with him to his self-proclamation as a “supreme alpha”, it’s impossible not to notice the patterns of larger issues at hand.
These issues aren’t novel in the slightest; they have been the core of every feminist movement since its origin in the 19th century. Across the globe, men have historically always had a higher political, social, and economic status when juxtaposed to women. This sort of power that is allotted to men because of their gender is called male privilege. For centuries, women have been struggling to be given the same privileges that are bestowed upon men. Inequality of women can be seen through their inability to previously legally vote, to enter the workplace, to make the same salary as men once they have entered the workplace, and countless other instances. Furthermore, it is important to note that the hierarchal relationship between men and women is not solely an American problem, but is a global epidemic.
India describes Rodger’s mentality perfectly by tweeting, “#YesAllWomen because we live in a world where people are getting killed for declining someone’s sexual advances towards them.” #YesAllWomen is a powerful global movement that strives to combat a society that produces Elliot Rodgers.
The Women and Gender Studies Department here at Mason created and promoted events to celebrate Women’s History Month. Some notable events include Romance & Erotica, a panel discussion and demonstration on romance and erotica; The Mask You Live In, a screening and panel discussion on masculinity; and Two Wings of One Bird: Prayer Gathering for Gender Inequality, an interfaith prayer gathering on the equality of women and men. For more information regarding events, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and our website.