Wimmins supplement
Preventing Sexual Assualt at DC

by Nadine Rehnby
from the 90-91 Other Handbook

Violence against women will affect your life at Douglas College this year. Women who go to
school or work at Douglas will be raped or battered. Women will be subjected to sexist jokes
in classrooms, or to uncomfortable attention or touching from their male instructors or
classmates. Experience has prepared Vancouver rape crisis centres to expect calls from women
who will be sexually assaulted when classes resume, at pub nights, house parties, socials,
fraternity parties, beer gardens, and other student functions on Lower Mainland College and
University campuses.

RAPE AND MALE POWER

RAPE IS AN ACT OF VIOLENCE COMMITTED BY A MAN AGAINST A WOMAN -
SIMPLY BECAUSE SHE IS AWOMAN. It is a way men demonstrate their power over
women. Men donot commit sexual violence because they want sex. They commit rape because
they want to show us that we do not have the right to say “No.”

Mén already have an unfair advantage over women- just as white people have over
people of colour, and rich people have over poor people. Men who attack us use whatever
power they might have. They use physical force, even weapons. They fire or harass us out of
jobs. They betray our trust. they invade our homes. They use the government to threaten us
with the loss of our children with deportation, with institutionalisation.

WHAT CAN YOU DO

Rape is never a woman’s fault. To give the impression that there is something a woman can do,
“should have done,” toescape male violence would takeaway from the fact thatitismen
who rape, and that itis their responsibility to end violence against women.

That said, there are some things that women can do to protect
ourselves. Mostly, this is unlearning the att itudes we have
been taught all our lives - that our bodies are not our own,

that weshould be quiet, congenial, helpful and respect-
fultomen in positions of power. That weare gentle.

Know that you have the right to set limits in
sexual contact, and that your feelings are most
important, Worry about yourself, not him.

cy aes instinct. If you feel you are being
stared downator looked through, if some-
one is blocking your way or is disregard-
ing what you are saying, or if youfeelyou |
are being pressured into unwanted sex,
you are right.

Get angry when someone does some-
thing you don’t want. Act immediately
with an assertive response.

Whilemostrapesarecommitted by people (Reams
we know, and often trust, self defense (iNEped
courses can be useful and empowering. -e
Assertiveness training can also help us to am
break down our socialized “passiveness.” po
dhe
There are also things that we can do to help Wy
ourselvesand other womentofightbackoncewe "Waa

have been sexually assaulted.

es
oa
Ar Sa
ce

po

Speak out. Expose man thatattack. If youseewomen

in immediate danger, call for help. If you suspect a

women is being cattered, getinvolved—atleastby giving her

thenumber ofa crisis lineorasafe shelter. Ifa womanis coming

to you for help, it is important that you listen to her non-

judgementally. She needs to be able to tell her story and express her * ~

feelings as well as figure out what to do about the assault. It you are having,

trouble backing her up, call a rape crisis centre. Encourage her to call. Or, if in her behalf
for information or referrals. Remember, she is NEVER to blame.

Both Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter and Women Against Violence Against
Violence Against Women have a 24 hour crisis line, and offer support, information and
advocacy for women who have been raped.

Women from these organizations will, whenever possible, accompany you to the hospital,
police or courts. As well, they will help to build a plan with you so you can fight back. Your
right to confidentiality and to decide for yourself what action you will, or won't take will be
respective.

As well, Vancouver Rape Relief operates a shelter for women who are not free from attack, or
the fear of attack. Phone numbers for Vancouver Rape relief and Women Against Violence
Against Womenarelisted in thedirectory. Call these numbers anytime or join. The work toend
violence against women can always use new voluteers.

What Men Can Do

Violence against women will only end when men realize that fact that we will no longer tolerate
a world in which our only protection against you is to lock ourselves away.

What youcando? Stop raping and battering, sexually assaulting harassing womenand children.
When you hear no, back off. If you hear no and continue sexual activity, you are sexually
assaulting. And remember, a “yes” extracted through aggression, manipulation or fear of
withdrawal of security, money, employment or love is not okay. It’s rape. Speak out against
rape, and talk to other men about ending rape.

Interrupt jokes that are demeaning or promote violence against women. Challenge images of
violence against women in advertising and pornogrophy. Support laws that encourage men to
take responsibility for ending rape.

Listen to women friends’ fears and concerns for their saftey, and their anger, without being
patronizing or condescending. Do not take power out of their hands.

Womens Reality—Some Statistics

-A Woman is raped every 17 minutes in Canada

-One woman in four will be raped sometime in her life, most often by someone she knows.
e assaulted before the age of 18, usually by a male family member.

-54% of women living with men will be struck at some time during the relationship.

-60% of rapes reported to us, and most battering and child sexual assault, takes place in the
home—the place where we are supposed to be most safe.

-90% of women are sexually harassed on the job ar some’ tome during their work life.
(Statistics courtesy Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter)

Ceara eee ee ee ee ee tt ht tk oe ee ee

Serre ee

Women and AIDS - an overview

After almost 10 vears of living with the crisis that is Acquired Immune-Detiency
Syndrome, people across Canada are starting to realize that itis a disease, NOT a punishment.
But for women, the AIDS crisis is alive and well. Although attitudes are changing, AIDS is still
being treated as a Man's discase- and thereforemore women asre dying unecassarily. Women -
have different symptoms not recognized by the CDC, so they are not diagnosed properly, do
not recieve proper treatment and consequently they die from complications due to HIV or they
die of AIDS.

Theaverage AIDScaseis diagnosed between 30-45 years of age,and when vou lookat these cases
ten to twelve years prior, these people would have been infected from ages 18-26. College and
University years.

When most of us think of AIDS, we think of itas a predominantly gay male disease. Worldwide
there are 3-10 million infected with HIV; in Canada 30,000 people are infected. Approximately
7,000 of these people will develop full blown AIDS by 1993, according to the Canadian Public
Health Association.

Butmuchof thisinformation, from assorted pamphlets and booklets by the government,
fail to address a pressing and dangerously serious issue: Women and AIDS.

According to statistics, women represent about 5% of AIDS cases in Canada. It is
certainly not surprising that once again, since women are the minority, HIV and AIDS goes on
undetected in many women because the percentage of women is not enough to do proper
researching and clinical testing. It is only men who have been the main issue. __

lt seems that men are the only ones who ever get the diseases. According to the Centre
for Disease Control (CDC), woman- to-womancontactis notincluded in thebreak-
down for transmission of AIDS, but there have been cases of lesbians |
transmitting AIDS to other lesbians. Women are being misdiagnosed,
overlooked and 4 undercounted.

Where drugs or # proper clinical trials are concerned, women are
often excluded.

Clinical models of health Jaf #
diagnoses and treatment

because it had

and

care for men are considered to be the basis for HIV |
procedures. AZT was approved by the FDA, and |
been the only drug approved for treatment of AIDS,
funding went into AZT research, over 100 other |
prospective drugs were discontinued due to lack of
funding. Furthermore AZT was not even tested on |
women and the effects of the drug on pregnant women
were not even well studied or documented.

Although there are illnesses and chronic infections found
ina woman, these symptoms are not recognized as AIDS
symptoms and many die without the AIDS c noses. This
complicates matters when women seck benefits that are

oftered te persons with AIDS (PWA), such as disability

benefits |
The Federal Centre for AIDS in Canada and _ the
Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in the United States
have not included the lengthy list of women specific |
Sh2nehel olen Be) aya | Brod
It has taken over two vears, since the first Naf |
Conference on Women a V Infection took placein
Washington in Decem
identify that the
How many been delayed proper
treatment due to an undefined sickness? \ These
women are not diagnosed as having AIDS because
the symptoms recognized for AIDS are predomi- |
nantly male specitic symptoms. The symptoms for
women are seen as different diseases and infections, |
for example PID or chronic yeast infections which
reat hm een cc em ell mS esercmear ial si Asc Beicbelietenre cole
The recurring infections and diseases are over-
looked by doctors and “ medical personnel don’ tlook for
recurrent vaginal infections. ‘Recurrent’ is a key word”
according to Stephen Williams.
How many of these women have been turned away, who
unknowingly reveateee passed on and ultimately died of the
complications caused by HIV? There are so many questions, and
the answers are quite frightening. But once women accept the ielele
that they can contract AIDS, and learn to deal with the reality, then
maybe the consequences won't be as grave as they are today.

), to address and to
‘issucot Womenand AIDS

women have

MEAs mM ALonCo mame Sek

PID or Pelvic Inflammatory Disease comprises from a wide range of inflammatory disorders
in the genital tract of women. Physician report that pelvic inflammatory disease tends to occur
in women who are HIV-positve, than women who are HIV-negative. Some forms of bacteria
that mav cause PID are N.Gonorrhoeae, Chlamidydia trachomatis,and a variety ot aerobic and
anacrobic bacterias.

HSV or Herpes Simplex Virus is chronic and recurring and for which no known cure exists.
HIV infection should be considered a possibility inall women with recurrent or persistent hei
Ulcerations form this virus may increase the risk of HIV transmission.

HPV or Human Papillomavirusand Neoplasia are persistent and retractory lower genital track
disease in women and may bea marker for HIV disease. There is a strong association between
HIV positive women and abnormal PAP smears. HIV will increase to risk of HPV infection.
Certain types ofa nogenital warts are caused by certain types of HPV: HIV women havea higher

rate often cervical aDnormalitics. |

 

Candida or chronic yeast infection among women with HIV infection, unexplained oral Phere
vaginal candidiasis appear to indicate advanced disease and a severely compromised immune |
system. Vaginal candidiasis may precede oral thrush and may be the first signs of immune |
dysfunction.

The recognition of these and other gynecological signs that may accompany the HIV infection
is critical to the earlv diagnosis and treatment for women. The variety of signs and symptoms
and diseases remain Women

selves of this disease, to eral) safe.

under-researched and under-documented must educate them-

7919070

Information was provided by the PWA Society (Ph# 683-3318) AIDS Vancouver (Ph? 687-2437)

and NJWAN (Jew Jersev Women and AIDS Network).

 

by Dawn Agno