Those who commit gender-based violence are solely responsible for their actions and this responsibility cannot be extended to anyone, unless proven otherwise. If everything is the fault of the patriarchy, Errejón is right, and the truth is that he is not responsible.
1. At this point, there is no doubt that someone was trusted who should never have been trusted. I’m talking about bad behavior that may constitute crimes, not sexual options that some consider inappropriate, nor addictive personalities. Feminism is not authoritarianism and the left should abandon its supposed moral superiority and sanctimonious judgments once and for all.
2. We cannot lose sight of the fact that everything that is happening is a triumph of feminism which has succeeded in reconceptualizing sexual relations to make it clear that sex is a social category steeped in politics and that women are not just victims of discrimination but also, and above all, the oppression which is exercised through the body, sexuality and reproduction. What cannot happen is that among the collateral effects of this type of affair are the reactionary sacralization of normative sex, which some seek, or punitivist excesses that feminism has never validated and which rather fuel the anti-feminist positions of the right. .
The moralistic and/or punitivist reaction, as understandable as 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 by weakening the emphasis on consent. on the social constraints to which women are subjected.
3. The strategy of lynching and coven (feminist or not) cannot under any circumstances be supported. Those who commit gender-based violence are solely responsible for their actions and this responsibility cannot be extended to anyone, unless proven otherwise. If it’s all the fault of the patriarchy, Errejón is right, and the truth is that it isn’t. Your letter is a narcissistic and self-indulgent exercise in avoiding responsibility and seeking criminal mitigating circumstances. Gender-based violence also does not arise solely from structures of domination, nor from bad apples or pathological personalities.
4. Politicians are neither heroes, nor priests, nor hermits. A minimum of consistency between what they do and what they say must be required of them, particularly because they occupy public functions or, as often happens, proclaim themselves exemplary guides. But we cannot forget that no one lives up to their ideals or those of others, even when they claim to be. That said, what cannot happen is that the distance between words and actions is crossed by highly reprehensible behavior or that we take advantage of this distance to abuse our 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. The stereotypes against them, the fear of reprisals, victimization and job loss are still in force. They are not sufficiently protected, neither themselves nor the witnesses who denounce them. For this reason, among others, the solution cannot consist solely of encouraging women to come to court, because it is more than proven that, despite the laudable efforts that have been made, the police and judicial processes discourage and re-victimize. Obviously, anonymous reports don’t solve much either and can also be counterproductive for the victim. It is therefore legally imperative to develop 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 speak out or effective sanctions. This was clearly seen in this case, in which there were no protocols or they were applied in a deficient and distorted manner.
The European Parliament, for example, has introduced a system to prevent and combat sexual harassment which includes a code of conduct for its members, voluntary training for parliamentarians and staff, as well as 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 counselors and external mediators should be created to guide and support victims and use procedures that do not take too long, tissues to support survivors and historical and confidential recording of cases.
7. The management of this affair, on a political and media level, can largely be improved. The responses were hesitant and late, there was a lack of strength and real identification with the victims. It’s better to recognize it. Calling yourself a feminist is a necessary but not sufficient condition for being one. It is better to assume that errors were made in the diagnosis, perception and evaluation of a fact, rather than to hyperventilate or contort oneself to accommodate them. Humility is important in politics, although it is an area in which, unfortunately, victory prevails more than conviction. 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 of this government in favor of feminism. policies.
It is shameful that the People’s Party is trying to spread everything using the oil smear technique, tirelessly mixing, shaking and stretching the eraser. The Party of the Nevenka affair, of Plácido Domingo’s applause and of the “fucking dumpers” has no commitment to victims of gender-based violence, nor any awareness of the damage caused to them. Their strategy has always been that of denial, indifference or bait, which revictimizes women and weakens the feminist struggle.
It is unfortunate that the opposition in this country is part of the problem and was never part of the solution. Right-wing governments have appealed to the Equality Act and the Abortion Act, they have opposed marriage equality, trans rights and the Yes Means Yes Act (with which the Istanbul Convention is implemented). They have subscribed to the thesis according to which equality policies are beach bars, they dismantle sexual and emotional education, which is precisely what prevents the normalization of abuse, and they govern with an extreme right declared misogynist and sexist . Women have absolutely no reason to thank them.
