a pee ah area November 12 ~Womyns centre unknown. by Helene Wisotzki For ten years Womyns Studies have been in existence at Douglas but have remained virtually un- known_because of little publicity. As is usually the case with non-conventional subjects, small groups of dedicated followers registered for the courses, which were, until 1978, mostly non- credit courses. After 1978, increased govern- ment funding allowed expansion and, consequently, credit for un- iversity. transfers. Despite the increased funds, there is still not enough aid for older womyn entering college; between two- thirds and three-quarters of all womyn entering Douglas College are over 25 years old. These older womyn use the Womyn’s Centre for support in dealing with their adjustment to college, while younger womyn tend to use the Centre more for research on womyn’s issues and information about the feminist community. However, as. many womyn have noticed, there are often men who register for Womyn's Studies courses. Despite what. feminism advocates - the political freedom of both womyn and men - it sometimes s¢ems an invasion of space to find a man in such a course’; almost a spy! Margaret Hoeck, Womyn’s Stud- ies administrator, is ‘‘delighted’’ that men do take the opportunity to learn about their sisters’ strug- gles, whether in history or litera- ture, although she does not see their presence in non-credit pro- grams (self-defense, assertive- hess, etc.) as ‘‘necessary’’. Reverse sexism, a common fear of feminists and non-feminists alike, does not pen. Says Hoech, ‘‘The ineq is so far the other way that there must be a ‘catch-up’time for womyn."’ This catch-up is achieved in two ways: by institutional establish- ment of programmes, and by individual support. There are pre- sently seven credit courses in the department of Womyn's Studies, ranging from literature to history to psychology. These courses have a feminist perspective to enable students to become aware of the significance of womyn’s experiences, recog- nize sexism and other destructive behavior, develop ideas and strat- egies to overcome sexism, either by intellectual or physical means. Womyn have been so far behind for so long that there must be immense changes made before the discrepancy between womyn's and men’s lives can be eradicat- ed. ‘‘Despite publicity and ex- posure, very little has changed. .equality.’’ It is not fémale su- Womyn's wages are still lower than men’s, and the gap is wider than it was ten years ago,'’ Hoeck said “lf Womyn's Studies could dis- appear it would be ideal,”’ she added, ‘‘but for now, it is part of the content and process towards premacy that feminists strive for, but human democracy. Men must recognize their privil- eges, and efforts must be con- centrated in advancing womyn' lives. Until we have reached the ideal balance in this society, we must support Womyn's Studies by 1) Interest and participation, and eurage more co-operation bet- ©h mén and womyn. Rape in Canada by Marianne Van Loon for CUP One out of four Canadian women will be sexually assaulted at some time in her life. And every seventeen minutes there is a rape in this country., Rape is one of the most extreme acts of violence inflicted on wo- men by men. It can happen to any woman, regardless of her age, marital status, class, or physical appearance. Opportunity seems to be the key factor. ‘‘She happened to be close at hand. Saying she was attractive was no justification. I don’t think looks had anything to do with it’’ explains aconvicted rapist in This Film is Abut Rape. Our conceptions of the rapist as a sick sex pervert are untrue. ‘“‘There is no steriotype. Rapists are the actors out of the cultural value system. they are an exag- geration,’’ says the film. ‘‘When they fall short of their expecta- tions they choose to act out to reinforce their masculinity, by sexualdominance. For a brief per- iod of time, the rapist is powerful, he is in control.”’ ‘‘Rape is a behaviour. It must be seen in a societal context. Some men choose to rape, some do not,’’ say Maureen Mills and Judy Lea of Vancouver Rape Relief. No woman chooses to be raped. But the possibility is part The Other Press of every woman’s reality. Approximately nine out of ten rapes are unreported. his is the victim’s choice. If she wiches to report it, there are several steps which should be taken immediat- ely. The evidence must be pre- served - this means do not wash or change clothes. The police should be call right away. A friend, or someone from Rape Relief can give support to the victim. Medical attention should be received, both to ensure the woman’s well being and for legal evidence of the crime. All details which the victim can remember should be written down. Vancouver Rape Relief staff will ccompany the victim and act as dvocates during questioning and ater during the trial if the woman wishes. They also offer counsel- ling and referals, information, support education and _ action groups. If the victim reports to the police she must undergo a_ medical examiniation for legal evidence of rape. And she is interrogated as if she committed a crime. the police decide if the case is worth persuing, based on the evidence available and the likelihood of a successful conviction. Only about one third of the reported cases are investigated past this point. Fewer still result in arrest. Time drags on. There is a hearing to set bail, and then a preliminary hearing to determine if the case will be tried. The woman is put on _ the witness stand and cross exam- ined. the accused is not. Informa- tion regarding her past sexual experiences may be allowed in court. Information regarding the accused’s past sexual history, including any unsuccessful prev- lous accusations of rape are not permissable. And the victim is represented by an attorney ap- pointed by the crown, who she probably has never seen before the day of the court appearance, while the accused may hire his own defense lawyer. The process amounts to a triual of the woman for the crime of being raped. If the woman is one of the seven per cent who win their cases, the If the woman decides not to prosecute, Vancouver Rape Relief can file a third party report for Page 13 her. She remains anonymous, but - police still have a record of the > crime for future investigations. There are alternatives to the legal system. Postering the area in which the rape occured to warn others is one. Another alternative is non-violent confrontation of the rapist. Since 75 per cent of all rapes are committed by someone who is previously known by the victim, this is often feasible. Confrontation involves rehersal of what thw woman wishes to say to the rapist, in the company of a group of people. Both Vancouver Rape Relief and Men Against Rape may be involved, as well as friends of the victim. When the woman feels ready, the rapist is confronted in his home or work. ‘‘The man knows her is not anonymous - others know, and he will be watched,’’ say Mills and Lea. Information on Men Against Rape is left for him. There have been a few cases where the rapists re-assessed their behav- iour and. later contacted this organization to try and change, but the main value of the con- frontation is that the woman re- gains control of her self. Vancouver Rape Relief offers advice on how to avoid rape. Emotional and physical self de- fense methods are useful. Re- strictive -clothing can _ inhibit movement and running if it be- comes necessary. Women should be aware of the people and cars around them, and report to police any cars that harass of follow them. And, ‘‘always try and be in control of situations where sexual confrontation could happen - on all levels from casual to intimate.’ ‘‘Rape may be increasing’’ say Milis and Lea, although it may be just that more women are coming out.’’ Economic depression and the conservative views of the moral majority may be contribut- ing to an increase. To reverse this trend, both men and women must examine their roles. It is very important to be aware of these roles in the upbringing of child- dren. The entire legal system which treats women as less than human must be changed, as well as the prison system which is ineffective. The society as a whole, which allows this behav- iour must change. Until rpae is eradicated, it will remain a part of every woman’s reality. it will remain a part of every woman’s reality. rapist goes to jail for a period of eight months to five years. There are no rehabilitation programs for rapists in Canadian prisons. And many become repeat offenders. In total, it is estimated that only 7 out of 10 per cent of all rapes result in conviction. The woman suffers not only the trauma re- lated to the actual rape, but that inflicted by the entire legal sys- tem, should she choose to press charges.