Those who perpetrate sexist violence are the only ones responsible for their actions and that responsibility cannot be extended to anyone else, unless proven otherwise. If everything is the fault of the patriarchy, Errejón is right, and the truth is that he is not
1. At this point there is no doubt that someone who should never have been trusted was trusted. I am talking about reprehensible behaviors that can constitute crimes, not about sexual options that some consider inappropriate, nor about addictive personalities. Feminism is not authoritarianism and the left should abandon its alleged moral superiority and moralizing judgments once and for all.
2. We cannot lose sight of the fact that everything that is happening is a triumph of feminism that has managed to reconceptualize sexual relations to make it clear that sex is a social category impregnated with politics and that women are not only victims of discrimination but also , and above all, the oppression that is exercised through the body, sexuality and reproduction. What cannot happen is that among the collateral effects of this type of case is the reactionary sacralization of normative sex, which some are seeking, or punitivist drifts that feminism has never validated and that feed, rather, the anti-feminist positions of the right ones.
The moralistic and/or punitivist reaction, no matter how understandable it may be, individualizes a structural problem by reducing sexual violence to the strict scope of self-consent, and the emphasis on consent, executed from a patriarchal logic, ends up weakening the emphasis on social coercion. to which women are subjected.
3. The strategy of lynching and the coven (feminist or not) cannot be supported under any circumstances. Those who perpetrate sexist violence are the only ones responsible for their actions and that responsibility cannot be extended to anyone else, unless proven otherwise. If everything is the fault of the patriarchy, Errejón is right, and the truth is that he is not. Your letter is a narcissistic and self-indulgent exercise aimed at avoiding responsibilities and seeking criminal mitigating circumstances. Neither does sexist violence derive only from structures of domination, nor is it a matter of bad apples or pathological personalities.
4. Politicians are not heroes, nor priests, nor hermits. A minimum of coherence between what they do and what they say must be required of them, especially because they hold public office or, as often happens, proclaim themselves as exemplary guides. But we cannot forget that no one lives up to their ideals or the ideals of others, not even when they claim to be. That said, what cannot happen is that the distance between words and actions is crossed with highly reprehensible behavior or that one takes advantage of that distance to abuse their power.
5. Harassment in politics is widespread, but it is rarely reported and there is a tendency to believe that it is the victim’s problem. Stereotypes that blame them, fear of reprisals, victimization and job loss are still in force. They are not sufficiently protected, neither them nor the witnesses who denounce them. For this reason, among other things, the solution cannot only be to encourage women to report in court because it is more than proven that, despite the laudable efforts that have been made, police and judicial processes discourage and re-victimize. Obviously, anonymous denunciations do not solve much either and can also be counterproductive for the victim. Therefore, it is a legal imperative to articulate effective protocols that are put in place when the legal process is excessively risky.
6. Most parliaments and organizations do not have mechanisms for women to express themselves, nor effective sanctions. It has been seen well in this case, in which there have been no protocols or they have been applied in a deficient and distorted manner.
The European Parliament, for example, introduced a system to prevent and address sexual harassment that includes a code of conduct for its members, optional training for MPs and staff, and various reporting bodies. However, there is still much to do. Supervision must be independent, with transparent selection processes and external audits, training must be mandatory, monitoring reports must be published and risk assessments must be carried out. A network of confidential advisors and external mediators would have to be created to guide and support victims and resort to procedures that do not take excessive time, fabrics to support survivors and a historical and confidential record of cases.
7. The management of this case, in political and media terms, can more than be improved. The responses have been hesitant and late, there has been a lack of forcefulness and genuine identification with the victims. It is better to recognize it. Calling yourself a feminist is a necessary but not sufficient condition to be one. It is preferable to assume that errors have been made in the diagnosis, perception and assessment of a fact, than to hyperventilate or contort to make them fit. Humility is important in politics, although it is an area in which, unfortunately, winning prevails more than convincing. Feminist leadership is transformational, not transactional.
8. It is possible that the Errejón case will have a negative impact on the coalition government because it could undermine the legitimacy and credibility of its feminist discourse, but I do not think it will call into question the firm commitment that that government has to feminist policies. .
It is shameful that the Popular Party is trying to smear everything using the oil stain technique, mixing and shaking, and tirelessly stretching the gum. The Party of the Nevenka case, the applause for Plácido Domingo and the “whore dumpers” has no commitment to the victims of sexist violence, nor any awareness of the damage caused to them. Their strategy has always been that of denialism, indifference or bait, which is what re-victimizes women and weakens the feminist struggle.
It is sad that the opposition in this country is part of the problem and has never been part of the solution. The right-wing governments appealed to the equality law and the abortion law, they opposed equal marriage, the rights of trans people and the yes means yes law (with which the Istanbul Convention is implemented). They have subscribed to the thesis that equality policies are beach bars, they dismantle sexual-affective education, which is precisely what prevents abuses from being normalized, and they govern with a declaredly misogynistic and sexist extreme right. Women have absolutely nothing to thank them for.
#reflections #Errejón #case #leaves
