GRSJ224/Objectification and Violence on Women

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Even with the significant amount of media covering women, who are found dead and killed by their partner, violence against women still continues to occur. Violence against women has become a very personal yet global matter that has started to progressively be more prominent in the public eye.

A causing factor of sexual violence on women may be due to the continuous objectification of women. Molly R. Franz et al (2015) conducted a study on 297 undergraduate women who were requested to assess their own body, as a means of self-objectification and whether there was a correlation with sexual victimization [1]. The study found that the effects of objectification can increase the likeliness of sexual violence on women [2].

In a society where violence and sexual assault on women are not signified as a top-priority to fix and prevent, the intersectionality of gender is placed on women. The intersectionality of gender cause women to be objectified and thus be controlled by not themselves, but others, specifically male individuals.

Statistics

  • In a 2008 study conducted in the United States, 35.2 % of the subjects reported being victims of intimate partner violence during their college years [3]
  • A 2012 survey conducted in Canada, found that 67% of all the surveyees know at least one woman who has been a victim of domestic or sexual abuse [4]
  • Between 1980 and 2012, there has been 1181 cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women and study has shown that Indigenous women are 6 times more likely to be killed, compared to non-Indigenous women [5]

Objectification on Women

Pornography (Focus on Pornographic Movies)

With pornographic movies being easily-accessible, individuals are able to watch it and become accustomed to the actions prevailed in the video. It may cause the viewers to see the actions as being normal, rather than unacceptable (ex. a male sexually assaulting a female who does not verbally give consent). Through the videos, women can be perceived as decorative objects for the male individual. The male is usually seen as being the dominant and superior individual of the two. The use of media providing pornography where women are viewed as sexual objects who are controlled by men invites male viewers to perform the same action on women. [6] This is an act of intersectionality on gender, where women are not only objectified, but they are also not treated equally and with respect. Aside from pornography being easily accessible, it is now also common in advertisements [7].

A woman is being objectified to represent another object which is a beer bottle

Advertisements

Advertisements further present erotic discrete visuals that may manipulate an individuals' mind to act upon what is considered the norm in media. A 2008 study conducted by Julie M. Stankiewicz and Francine Rosselli, investigated the perceptions of women found in advertisements. They analyzed 1,988 advertisements and found that in every two magazine advertisements, there was an advertisement of a woman being perceived as a sexual object [8]. In magazines targetting male individuals, three in four advertisements featured women as being sexualized [9]. This provides further insight that the advertisements that feature women, conveyed a message that a woman's body is considered an ornament and a decorative object that is put on display, for viewers to look at and judge. This supports the theme of the intersectionality of women. It presents the idea that women are not treated equally the same as men. Women are further discriminated and marginalized based on their gender and the perception that society views them as, objects.

Sexual Violence

An Umbrella with Examples fo Sexual Violence

According to the World Report on Violence and Health, sexual violence is defined as "any sexual act, attempts to obtain sexual act, or acts to traffic for sexual purposes, directed against a person using coercion, harassment or advances made by any person regardless of their relationship to the victim, in any setting, including but not limited to home and work" [10]. Sexual violence can occur from different individuals in many different circumstances such as violence from a partner, an acquaintance, and a stranger. The perception of women as inferior and sexual objects to men may be a causing factor towards the violence against women since male individuals may feel that they have dominant and patriarchal control over female bodies. Sexual violence occurs throughout nations and societies, however, there is little media coverage that addresses the scope of this problem. Moreover, the victim, usually being the woman, is blamed for the existence and occurrence of the violence, despite the fact that she may not have done anything wrong. Because of the blame, stigmatization, stereotypes, and shame that is placed upon the victims, women often do not seek for help when they have been sexually assaulted [11]. Many occurrences of sexual violence is due to the intersectionality on gender, where gender inequality and discrimination may be a causing factor towards sexual violence [12].

What is Being Done

There is progressively more research being done on the objectification and violence against women. The existence of these research papers may potentially build more awareness and address this personal yet global matter.

Associate professor, Sarah J. Gervais and graduate student, Sarah Eagan from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, both believe that "reducing objectification of women would likely reduce men's willingness to engage in sexual assault" [13]. When media portrays women as decorative and sexual objects, it causes individuals to act upon the perception as being the norm.


Marches and Movements

A Women's March is done every year where people come in solidarity to fight for the recognition and acknowledgement of women and their rights as a human being

Aside from research being conducted, there are marches and movements that focus on fighting for women's rights and to further relieve the intersectionality of gender, specifically women. These movements are to assist people to stand in solidarity to fight for the rights for health, rights of freedom, gender equality, and the rights as a human being.


Women's March: A march which is done every year to fight for equal rights for women and their rights as a human being


#MeToo Movement: A movement that was created to help other individuals, specifically women, to voice out their experience with being sexually assaulted. This movement was created to provide women with a voice and to have women be heard.

References

  1. ↑ Sexual objectification and sexual assault: Do self-objectification and sexual assertiveness account for the link? (2016). Psychology of Violence, 6(2), 262-270. doi:10.1037/vio0000015
  2. ↑ Sexual objectification and sexual assault: Do self-objectification and sexual assertiveness account for the link? (2016). Psychology of Violence, 6(2), 262-270. doi:10.1037/vio0000015
  3. ↑ Davidson, M. M., & Gervais, S. J. (2015). Violence against women through the lens of objectification theory. Violence Against Women, 21(3), 330-354. 10.1177/1077801214568031
  4. ↑ Canadian Women's Foundation. (2016). Moving Women out of Violence [Fact Sheet]. Retrieved from https://www.canadianwomen.org/the-facts/gender-based-violence/
  5. ↑ Davidson, M. M., & Gervais, S. J. (2015). Violence against women through the lens of objectification theory. Violence Against Women, 21(3), 330-354. 10.1177/1077801214568031
  6. ↑ Vandenbosch, L., & van Oosten, Johanna M. F. (2017). The relationship between online pornography and the sexual objectification of women: The attenuating role of porn literacy education. Journal of Communication, 67(6), 1015-1036. 10.1111/jcom.12341
  7. ↑ Stankiewicz, J. M., & Rosselli, F. (2008). Women as sex objects and victims in print advertisements. Sex Roles, 58(7), 579-589. doi:10.1007/s11199-007-9359-1
  8. ↑ Stankiewicz, J. M., & Rosselli, F. (2008). Women as sex objects and victims in print advertisements. Sex Roles, 58(7), 579-589. doi:10.1007/s11199-007-9359-1
  9. ↑ Stankiewicz, J. M., & Rosselli, F. (2008). Women as sex objects and victims in print advertisements. Sex Roles, 58(7), 579-589. doi:10.1007/s11199-007-9359-1
  10. ↑ Jewkes R, Sen P & Garcia-Moreno C. In Krug E et al. (eds.). Sexual violence in world report on violence and health. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2002.
  11. ↑ Dartnall, Elizabeth, BAppSc, Post-Grad Dip: Counselling, MSc, & Jewkes, Rachel, MBBS, MSc, MFPHM, MD. (2012;2013;). Sexual violence against women: The scope of the problem. Best Practice & Research: Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 27(1), 3-13. doi:10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2012.08.002
  12. ↑ Dartnall, Elizabeth, BAppSc, Post-Grad Dip: Counselling, MSc, & Jewkes, Rachel, MBBS, MSc, MFPHM, MD. (2012;2013;). Sexual violence against women: The scope of the problem. Best Practice & Research: Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 27(1), 3-13. doi:10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2012.08.002
  13. ↑ Gervais, S. J., & Eagan, S. (2017). Sexual objectification: The common thread connecting myriad forms of sexual violence against women. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 87(3), 226-232. doi:10.1037/ort0000257
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