[Brussels 29 March 2019] On 8 March 2019, EWL organised an evening hosted together with the City of Brussels and isala asbl to mark International Women’s Day, as part of Women’s Rights Week (Semaine des Droits des Femmes-SDDF) at the City Hall of Brussels.
During the event you heard from local, national and international activists and researchers who explored the reality of the world in which these stereotypes exist (that in Europe, 7 women die every day from domestic violence, 9 million girls have experienced online violence by the time they are 15 years old, and women account for only 24% of people that we hear or read about in the news). We discussed hypersexualisation of women in the media, in advertising, pornography, prostitution and wider society. We questioned whether such a thing as ‘feminist’ porn could exist, and highlighted new challenges like “Sugar Baby” sites and sex robots – showing how close we are coming to an acceptance of this objectification and sexualisation, and how it disproportionately affects some groups more than others (girls and young women, migrant or asylum seeking women and girls, women and girls from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds…).
We also offered solutions – that we have the power and ability to take action in every space across society. That we can change laws and policies to hold perpetrators, companies and those profiting to account. We can raise our voices together and say we don’t accept what is happening. We can volunteer, join campaigns, and speak up for our rights – to say we object to inequality!
You can see pictures from the event here
We are grateful for your support and hope you will stay in touch, join us again in the future and stay active fighting to end objectification of women and girls!
