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Greetings Troublemakers
...welcome to Trouble.
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My name is not important.
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In the wake of the recent scandals
that have rocked Hollywood,
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corporate media outlets,
academia, amateur sports
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and, of course, Washington DC
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... the topic of sexual abuse
has become a recurring feature
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on the American news cycle.
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But while it’s good to see
a handful of powerful men
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at least beginning
to be held accountable
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for their misogynistic behaviour
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... the sexual harassment
and assault of women
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is obviously nothing new.
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And these recent stories are only
a microscopic representation
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of a much more widespread
and systemic issue.
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If even famous celebrities aren’t
safe from this type of abuse
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... what does that say
about the rest of us?
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Sexual violence is
the foundation of patriarchy,
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one of the oldest and most
insidious systems of domination
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in human history.
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This violence takes many forms
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from rape
and sexual exploitation,
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to the imposition of
misogynistic beauty standards
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and gender norms,
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to laws and social taboos
that seek to control
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women's sexuality,
bodily autonomy
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and reproductive health.
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Patriarchy is intricately woven
into the very fabric of society;
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it is rooted in
the nuclear family
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and the ways in which
children are raised differently
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depending on the gender
they're assigned at birth.
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It is encoded into our language,
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and amplified by religion
and popular culture,
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helping to shape our
perceptions of the world,
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and our place in it.
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It plays out in countless
everyday experiences and actions,
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forming a self-perpetuating
and self-reinforcing cycle
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that is passed down
through generations,
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extending its influence
into all spheres of
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human activity and behaviour.
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But far from accepting
the role of eternal victim,
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throughout history, women
have consistently pushed back
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against patriarchal systems
of social, political
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and economic control.
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Today, we are at the
forefront of revolutionary
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anti-capitalist and anti-colonial
movements around the world,
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in addition to playing
leading roles in resistance
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against white supremacy
and police terror,
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for LGBTQ liberation,
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and against ableism,
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carceral psychology and
the prison-industrial complex.
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Over the next thirty minutes
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we'll highlight some of
the ongoing struggles
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faced by women across the globe
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and speak with a number
of badass commentators
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as they talk about
confronting social taboos,
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fighting back against sexism,
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subverting systems
of male domination
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... and making
a whole lot of trouble.
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In a word, I would define
patriarchy as conquest.
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Beyond just sort of
everyday prejudices,
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it is a system of power
that is institutionalized
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in various facets of
our everday life.
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A social, economic,
political system
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that's rooted in
gender oppression.
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The system of
racialized gender regulation
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that socially and materially
privileges manhood,
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and men... and masculinity.
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Trans, queer
and non-binary folks,
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and all the things,
behaviours and attributes
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that we would associate
with the feminine,
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or femininity
is deemed to be inferior.
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It's a social system
that establishes,
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codifies the supremacy,
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the superiority of men in
every sphere of social life
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over women.
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The struggles of
women across the world
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show that there's
a lot of common issues,
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such as their under-representation
or marginalization
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in cultural, economic
and political spheres.
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One of the unifying
characteristics of patriarchy
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that is seen around the world
is the imposition of
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a gender binary, with
violence committed against
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those who do not fit
into the stereotypes
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– into the expected
representations
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of what is masculine
or what is feminine.
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The patriarchal system, as a
system of gender regulation,
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revolves around transmisogyny
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– which patriarchy
understands as a punishment
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of failed masculinity.
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Because trans women are not
understood as being real women
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but rather as failed men.
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And the violence against trans
women serves a twofold purpose.
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It allows cis men
to reassert and re-establish
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their own sense of masculinity
by punishing trans women
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for their own insecurity
about their heterosexuality,
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and their attraction to
trans women, which calls
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their whole
manhood into question.
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And then it also serves
a warning to trans women.
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The kind of uniform
experience of patriarchy,
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if there was to be one
... because of course
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patriarchy is experienced
differently by different genders
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and many other identities
that overlap with patriarchy
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– but is particularly, the subjugation
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especially if we look at
subjugation and inequality
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in intimate relationships,
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and in the so-called
'domestic spheres.'
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So that's one of the ways
in which patriarchy
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continues to be so dominant,
and yet so invisible.
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Patriarchal relations, the
dominance of men over women,
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it's a consequence usually
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of a system that
exploits human labour.
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And therefore
the control over women,
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over their reproductive capacity,
over their domestic work
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– it's in fact a goal, at least
of those who control society.
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Patriarchy is,
at least in my view,
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connected with a class system.
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With a system of exploitation
that goes beyond the relations
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between men and women.
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Economically, the subordination
of women and femmes
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plays out in pay gaps
and in the way that
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women's labour is undervalued,
regardless of what it is.
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And whether it's
in more traditional ways
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... if it's curanderas,
or medicine people,
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it's typically more women.
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When we talk about
the ancestral knowledge
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that's passed down
from grandmothers
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through matrilineal connections
- that kind of knowledge
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is dismissed more often.
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There is an appropriation
of the genius of women.
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Of the work of women
that men take credit for.
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All those clichés about there
always being, y'know,
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'behind every great man
there's a woman.'
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Like, behind every great woman
there's ten more women
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that are badass and that have
worked to uplift each other
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and to encourage each other
to find their power
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and to find their voices.
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Patriarchy ignores all that.
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Patriarchy erases the genius
of women throughout history.
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It erases the efforts
that we put in
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to help our
communities be thriving.
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To help our
children be thriving.
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I've spoken of 'the patriarchy
of the wage' to define,
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y'know, the way
in which capitalism maintains
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gender-based hierarchies.
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The patriarchy of the wage
says that,
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or implies,
the wage relation.
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And the fact that capitalism
organizes much of
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women's work on
an unpaid basis as being
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a fundamental material
condition for the creation
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of patriarchal control.
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We saw very recently
with the #MeToo movement,
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how the issue of harassment
or abuse against women
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is something that really
transcends
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all class lines
and all culture lines.
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It's also important to state
that patriarchy
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does not imply that all men
have power over all women.
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Take the case of the
United States, for instance.
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It's clear that the race relation
has a profound effect
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in the definition also
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of whose men have power
over whose women.
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I think about patriarchy,
not only in the way
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that it affects women,
but in the way
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that it affects men
in our communities.
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It stunts their growth.
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It stunts their
capacity for accountability,
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their emotional depth.
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Their willingness to grow
and to understand
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that they can become
better human beings,
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more connected
to their spirituality.
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More connected to
their purpose in this life.
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Especially in
– when folks talk about,
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y'know, a revolutionary sense,
there's this stereotype
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of having to be hard
and super militant.
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And we absolutely need that.
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We absolutely need
to defend our communities.
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But we also need to be able to
communicate with each other.
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And to be reasonable,
and to not default to anger.
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In the Book of Genesis,
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which just so happens to be
the main creation story
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for the world's combined
4.2 billion adherents
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of Judaism,
Christianity and Islam
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... it's a bit of
an understatement to say that
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women don't exactly
come out looking so great.
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And if the no-doubt
male authors of this text
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are to be believed
... it's all Eve's fault.
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Because even after being
granted an earthly paradise
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to frolic around in,
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this ungrateful harlot
did the one thing
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that her benevolent male
God had told her not to do.
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And worse than that,
she roped her husband
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into taking the blame with her
... even after he gave up
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one of his ribs
so that she could be created.
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By eating the forbidden apple
from the Tree of Knowledge,
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Eve was responsible
for original sin
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... and ultimately
the downfall of humanity.
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Pretty heavy.
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And for thousands of years,
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the chief institutions
of organized religion
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have done everything
that they could to ensure
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that nobody forgot
the awful truth
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wrapped up
in this vicious lie.
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The Catholic Church
has played a major major role
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in terms of fostering a
misogynist conception of women.
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The Church had
a tremendous role,
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in particular,
in defining women's sexuality
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as something sinful.
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As something that
has to be controlled.
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So the woman
is the great sinner.
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The woman is the one
who has to cover herself,
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because she is a continuous
temptation for men.
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Sexuality is a very intense,
potentially subversive force.
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Y'know, but here
I would add immediately
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that the concerns of
the Church were also shared
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by the political
and legal authorities.
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Because particularly in the
developing capitalist system
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at the end of the Middle Ages,
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y'know, the question of
the control of sexuality,
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the control of procreation,
became a strategic issue.
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Became a strategic objective.
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Those same techniques,
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values that were permeated
by a devaluation of women
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... were exported.
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Throughout colonization,
Christianity used the bible
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and its stories
to prove that patriarchy
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was the will of God.
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The Christian,
Catholic religions
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that have been imposed here
deify men.
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And deify God as a man.
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And they don't have any room
for the sacred feminine.
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Colonization needed to
divide and destroy communities
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in order to gain
access to land.
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And upon arrival,
settlers noticed very quickly
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that Indigenous women
often held positions
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of power in their communities,
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and in their own
governance systems.
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And so while there were
generalized attacks
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on Indigenous communities,
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there were
very specific attacks
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aimed directly at
Indigenous women.
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Looking back at history,
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looking back
at resource extraction
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... the ways that all of our
non-human relatives have
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been treated and commodified
and stolen and sold
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... it seems to me that
people from those religions
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don't hold much sacred.
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One of the first things they did
was convince the men
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in those communities
that their equality to women
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was a sign of inferiority.
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And this was done
through religion
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and a variety
of different ways,
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and actually got them
to aid in the process
252
00:12:12,896 --> 00:12:15,402
of removing women from
those positions of power.
253
00:12:15,402 --> 00:12:18,795
The way that
colonizers invaded,
254
00:12:18,795 --> 00:12:21,944
and continue to invade
and destroy
255
00:12:21,944 --> 00:12:25,857
and disrespect
the land that gives us life
256
00:12:25,857 --> 00:12:30,337
... is an extreme parallel
to the ways that colonizers
257
00:12:30,337 --> 00:12:34,988
also inflict abuse
on Native women in particular.
258
00:12:35,758 --> 00:12:38,957
The MMIW movement in Canada
259
00:12:38,957 --> 00:12:43,480
has been an Indigenous-led
response to the crisis of
260
00:12:43,480 --> 00:12:47,394
over-representation of Inuit,
Métis and First Nations women
261
00:12:47,394 --> 00:12:49,981
in missing persons
and homicide cases.
262
00:12:49,981 --> 00:12:52,478
Indigenous women make up
4% of the population,
263
00:12:52,478 --> 00:12:55,751
but 16% of the
homicide rates in Canada.
264
00:12:55,751 --> 00:12:57,950
Deaths and disappearances
of Indigenous women
265
00:12:57,950 --> 00:13:00,837
are often ignored
or mishandled by the police.
266
00:13:00,837 --> 00:13:02,541
The Tina Fontaine verdict
267
00:13:02,541 --> 00:13:05,296
... the recent not-guilty
verdict in that case,
268
00:13:05,296 --> 00:13:06,999
which was pretty devastating
269
00:13:06,999 --> 00:13:09,299
– you see this kind
of thing play out.
270
00:13:09,299 --> 00:13:10,953
And so you see things like,
271
00:13:10,953 --> 00:13:13,698
just before the verdict being
announced, The Globe and Mail
272
00:13:13,698 --> 00:13:17,048
doing an entire front-page
article talking about how
273
00:13:17,048 --> 00:13:19,551
she had drugs
and alcohol in her system
274
00:13:19,551 --> 00:13:20,480
when she was found.
275
00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:24,275
As if that somehow justifies
her being murdered
276
00:13:24,275 --> 00:13:26,578
and thrown into the river
in a sleeping bag.
277
00:13:27,589 --> 00:13:31,825
The European
systems of religion,
278
00:13:31,825 --> 00:13:36,349
of social structures
are all based on hierarchy.
279
00:13:36,349 --> 00:13:39,051
The hierarchies that
are in place now place women
280
00:13:39,051 --> 00:13:42,562
– women of colour –
at the very bottom.
281
00:13:42,562 --> 00:13:45,723
The Jezebel is one of
the controlling images
282
00:13:45,723 --> 00:13:48,546
of Black womanhood
that's grounded in this idea
283
00:13:48,546 --> 00:13:52,344
that Black women are
uniquely sexually aggressive
284
00:13:52,344 --> 00:13:54,729
and uncontrollably
promiscuous,
285
00:13:54,729 --> 00:13:57,551
and hyper-sexual
and animalistic.
286
00:13:57,551 --> 00:13:59,800
And it relates to chattel
slavery in the United States
287
00:13:59,800 --> 00:14:02,311
in that enslaved Black women
were subjected
288
00:14:02,311 --> 00:14:04,606
to sexual violence
by their masters.
289
00:14:04,606 --> 00:14:08,571
Because they were seen
solely as bodies that existed
290
00:14:08,571 --> 00:14:11,891
for sexual consumption and
sexual domination by white men.
291
00:14:11,891 --> 00:14:14,023
This has fed into
a contemporary idea
292
00:14:14,023 --> 00:14:16,368
that Black women
are 'un-rapeable'.
293
00:14:16,368 --> 00:14:20,120
That we are purely sexual
beings that always want sex.
294
00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:22,089
And so when we are
victimized sexually,
295
00:14:22,089 --> 00:14:24,468
we're not understood
as being legitimate victims
296
00:14:24,468 --> 00:14:26,251
the way that white women are.
297
00:14:26,251 --> 00:14:28,429
In Syria you have the rise
298
00:14:28,429 --> 00:14:31,297
of a number of
authoritarian Islamist groups,
299
00:14:31,297 --> 00:14:35,022
which to varying degrees have
placed restrictions on women
300
00:14:35,022 --> 00:14:36,882
in terms of
their participation,
301
00:14:36,882 --> 00:14:40,357
or restrictions on movement
or on dress.
302
00:14:40,357 --> 00:14:45,209
But with Daesh, we saw
these extremes of horror
303
00:14:45,209 --> 00:14:47,674
being committed against women.
304
00:14:47,674 --> 00:14:50,576
The reintroduction
of sexual slavery,
305
00:14:50,576 --> 00:14:53,999
also the policing of
women in the social space
306
00:14:53,999 --> 00:14:57,605
– which was completely
alien to Syrian society.
307
00:14:57,605 --> 00:15:00,312
But I think it's also
important to recognize
308
00:15:00,312 --> 00:15:02,005
that women have been
at the forefront
309
00:15:02,005 --> 00:15:03,661
of countering extremism.
310
00:15:03,661 --> 00:15:05,842
Of course,
in the Kurdish areas
311
00:15:05,842 --> 00:15:09,395
the female fighters of the YPJ
have really captured
312
00:15:09,395 --> 00:15:12,464
the world's imagination
for the courage they've shown
313
00:15:12,464 --> 00:15:14,517
in fighting against Daesh.
314
00:15:14,517 --> 00:15:18,444
In Raqqa you had
an amazing woman, Suad Nofal,
315
00:15:18,444 --> 00:15:21,677
who became an icon
for Syrian revolutionaries
316
00:15:21,677 --> 00:15:23,695
because she carried out
these one-woman
317
00:15:23,695 --> 00:15:26,885
demonstrations against Daesh
for two months.
318
00:15:26,885 --> 00:15:31,006
Every day she was there
protesting against them
319
00:15:31,006 --> 00:15:32,814
and calling on them to leave.
320
00:15:32,814 --> 00:15:36,138
And in Idlib, you've seen
women at the forefront
321
00:15:36,138 --> 00:15:38,117
of protests against Nusra.
322
00:15:38,117 --> 00:15:39,971
I think it's important
to recognize
323
00:15:39,971 --> 00:15:43,883
that many of these women
are religious, hijab-wearing,
324
00:15:43,883 --> 00:15:45,061
Muslim women.
325
00:15:45,061 --> 00:15:48,402
But what they're saying is
that they refuse to submit
326
00:15:48,402 --> 00:15:51,143
to the regime's tyranny,
and they refuse any
327
00:15:51,143 --> 00:15:53,697
other tyranny
that tries to replace it.
328
00:15:53,697 --> 00:15:56,605
And they refuse anyone
who's trying to impose
329
00:15:56,605 --> 00:15:58,933
an authoritarian
agenda on them,
330
00:15:58,933 --> 00:16:01,286
or dictate to them
what they should wear
331
00:16:01,286 --> 00:16:03,351
or what their
social role should be.
332
00:16:05,848 --> 00:16:08,405
According to the UN
High Commission on Refugees,
333
00:16:08,405 --> 00:16:12,907
in 2017 there was
a record 258 million migrants
334
00:16:12,907 --> 00:16:14,762
living in countries
around the world.
335
00:16:14,762 --> 00:16:17,597
This figure includes
almost 26 million people
336
00:16:17,597 --> 00:16:20,025
who are officially
registered as refugees.
337
00:16:20,025 --> 00:16:21,760
And over
the past several years,
338
00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:23,894
for the first time
in recorded history,
339
00:16:23,894 --> 00:16:26,210
a majority of those
forced to make these journeys
340
00:16:26,210 --> 00:16:27,866
have been women and children.
341
00:16:28,276 --> 00:16:29,722
The decision to
leave your home,
342
00:16:29,722 --> 00:16:32,106
and the entire life that
you've made for yourself,
343
00:16:32,106 --> 00:16:34,429
is one that
nobody takes lightly.
344
00:16:34,429 --> 00:16:36,788
Forced migration is
a terrifying flight
345
00:16:36,788 --> 00:16:38,808
into uncertainty and precarity
346
00:16:38,808 --> 00:16:41,313
... and this is especially true
for female refugees
347
00:16:41,313 --> 00:16:42,645
and migrant workers,
348
00:16:42,645 --> 00:16:45,058
who face a specific
set of risks and dangers,
349
00:16:45,058 --> 00:16:46,722
on top of the many
challenges shared
350
00:16:46,722 --> 00:16:48,373
by their male counterparts.
351
00:16:48,973 --> 00:16:51,207
As war,
territorial dispossession,
352
00:16:51,207 --> 00:16:54,960
extreme economic inequality
and climate change continue
353
00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:57,909
to destabilize our world,
humanity sits poised
354
00:16:57,909 --> 00:17:00,570
on the threshold of an era
of even greater levels
355
00:17:00,570 --> 00:17:02,704
of dislocation
and displacement.
356
00:17:02,704 --> 00:17:04,611
And as
this process accelerates,
357
00:17:04,611 --> 00:17:06,989
women will continue to
bear the heaviest burden.
358
00:17:10,311 --> 00:17:13,674
The feminization of migration
is basically the reality
359
00:17:13,674 --> 00:17:18,290
that women continue to be
the most impacted by wars,
360
00:17:18,290 --> 00:17:22,416
by occupations, by militarism,
by climate change,
361
00:17:22,416 --> 00:17:26,697
by forced poverty as a result
of colonialism and neoliberalism.
362
00:17:26,697 --> 00:17:29,241
And that women are the ones
that are primarily on the move.
363
00:17:29,241 --> 00:17:31,079
In the Global South
364
00:17:31,079 --> 00:17:34,866
– in much of Africa,
Latin America, parts of Asia –
365
00:17:34,866 --> 00:17:38,067
what you have
has been a massive level
366
00:17:38,067 --> 00:17:39,362
of impoverishment.
367
00:17:39,362 --> 00:17:44,435
Starting with the debt crisis
in the late 1970s
368
00:17:44,435 --> 00:17:47,150
and then the application
of programs
369
00:17:47,150 --> 00:17:48,883
of structural adjustment,
370
00:17:48,883 --> 00:17:51,785
which are brutal
austerity programs.
371
00:17:51,785 --> 00:17:54,441
Y'know, what you have
across the continents
372
00:17:54,441 --> 00:17:56,793
is a massive pauperization,
373
00:17:56,793 --> 00:18:00,350
which then has triggered
big migratory flows.
374
00:18:00,350 --> 00:18:03,707
One of the biggest myths
is this idea that
375
00:18:03,707 --> 00:18:05,479
the so-called 'west'
and the Global North
376
00:18:05,479 --> 00:18:07,156
is so accepting towards refugees.
377
00:18:07,156 --> 00:18:08,621
The number of people
that even make it
378
00:18:08,621 --> 00:18:10,245
to the Global North
is a fraction.
379
00:18:10,245 --> 00:18:12,575
Most people who are displaced
are displaced, y'know,
380
00:18:12,575 --> 00:18:13,899
within their
countries of origin,
381
00:18:13,899 --> 00:18:15,657
or to neighbouring countries.
382
00:18:15,657 --> 00:18:17,844
The living conditions
of displacement,
383
00:18:17,844 --> 00:18:19,979
the poverty,
the hardship
384
00:18:19,979 --> 00:18:23,256
... these things have
increased domestic violence
385
00:18:23,256 --> 00:18:25,414
for women often
living in camps.
386
00:18:25,414 --> 00:18:27,942
Because men will take out
their frustration on
387
00:18:27,942 --> 00:18:29,403
the women in their families.
388
00:18:29,403 --> 00:18:33,070
I've spent a lot of time
with refugees in Lebanon,
389
00:18:33,070 --> 00:18:34,808
in Jordan and in Iraq.
390
00:18:34,808 --> 00:18:38,449
And in all of those places
I've met women that were
391
00:18:38,449 --> 00:18:41,847
organizing around issues
of domestic violence
392
00:18:41,847 --> 00:18:43,073
or early marriage.
393
00:18:43,073 --> 00:18:45,320
The kinds of racism,
and the anti-migrant backlash
394
00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:46,736
that we're dealing with
all around the world
395
00:18:46,736 --> 00:18:47,832
– we're seeing this in Europe,
396
00:18:47,832 --> 00:18:49,614
we're seeing this
with Rohingya refugees,
397
00:18:49,614 --> 00:18:51,435
we're seeing this
in the Mediterranean,
398
00:18:51,435 --> 00:18:53,935
we're seeing this
in New Zealand and Manus Island,
399
00:18:53,935 --> 00:18:55,098
in the United States
and Canada
400
00:18:55,098 --> 00:18:55,927
... really all over.
401
00:18:55,927 --> 00:18:57,240
Women actually make up
more than half
402
00:18:57,240 --> 00:19:00,306
of the world's migrants and so
women are dealing with that.
403
00:19:00,306 --> 00:19:01,557
And women are also
dealing with
404
00:19:01,557 --> 00:19:04,349
the particular vulnerabilities
of being women on the move,
405
00:19:04,349 --> 00:19:06,124
and facing fortified borders.
406
00:19:06,124 --> 00:19:08,670
So that means that, y'know,
women are really vulnerable
407
00:19:08,670 --> 00:19:09,963
to rape and sexual violence.
408
00:19:09,963 --> 00:19:12,915
60% of women who are crossing
the southern US border
409
00:19:12,915 --> 00:19:14,939
reported sexual violence
at the border.
410
00:19:14,939 --> 00:19:17,042
It's just another
level of something
411
00:19:17,042 --> 00:19:18,701
to be used against you.
412
00:19:18,701 --> 00:19:23,615
Undocumented women who are
in domestic abuse situations,
413
00:19:23,615 --> 00:19:26,016
or who have been
sexually assaulted,
414
00:19:26,016 --> 00:19:28,396
have little to no recourse.
415
00:19:28,396 --> 00:19:30,265
The fear of being deported,
416
00:19:30,265 --> 00:19:32,308
the fear of being
separated from your children,
417
00:19:32,308 --> 00:19:36,069
the aggressive deportation
tactics that are being used
418
00:19:36,069 --> 00:19:39,346
... leaves women
so much more unprotected.
419
00:19:39,346 --> 00:19:42,782
They have to face
years of isolation,
420
00:19:42,782 --> 00:19:45,724
exclusion, including violence.
421
00:19:45,724 --> 00:19:48,072
Because many times
when they arrive
422
00:19:48,072 --> 00:19:49,802
they don't have
all the proper documents,
423
00:19:49,802 --> 00:19:52,258
or their documents
are taken away from them.
424
00:19:52,258 --> 00:19:53,837
And they become exposed
425
00:19:53,837 --> 00:19:57,401
to very brutal
forms of exploitation.
426
00:19:57,401 --> 00:19:59,188
So people are
unwilling to speak out.
427
00:19:59,188 --> 00:20:00,991
People are unwilling
to speak out against
428
00:20:00,991 --> 00:20:02,922
unfair working conditions,
429
00:20:02,922 --> 00:20:05,316
or sexual harassment
by their employers.
430
00:20:05,316 --> 00:20:07,140
Always and forever again,
y'know,
431
00:20:07,140 --> 00:20:08,957
in the interests
of their children.
432
00:20:08,957 --> 00:20:12,389
Of survival.
Of being able to make a life
433
00:20:12,389 --> 00:20:14,571
after being forced
out of your homeland.
434
00:20:14,571 --> 00:20:17,030
Women migrants are also,
again as often being
435
00:20:17,030 --> 00:20:18,812
the primary caregivers
to their children,
436
00:20:18,812 --> 00:20:21,159
are often the ones
who are responsible for
437
00:20:21,159 --> 00:20:23,217
the well-being of their kids
while they're on the move.
438
00:20:23,217 --> 00:20:24,991
Or are dealing with
family separations.
439
00:20:24,991 --> 00:20:26,484
So are separated
from their kids
440
00:20:26,484 --> 00:20:27,887
... sometimes for decades.
441
00:20:27,887 --> 00:20:31,283
And so these are completely
related to patriarchy
442
00:20:31,283 --> 00:20:34,194
in terms of the burden
that women face,
443
00:20:34,194 --> 00:20:36,130
of reproductive labour
and domestic labour
444
00:20:36,130 --> 00:20:37,141
within the home.
445
00:20:37,141 --> 00:20:39,328
If we look at communities
that are still land-based
446
00:20:39,328 --> 00:20:41,426
– so Indigenous communities,
peasant-based communities,
447
00:20:41,426 --> 00:20:42,608
farming communities,
448
00:20:42,608 --> 00:20:44,303
in the vast majority
of the Global South –
449
00:20:44,303 --> 00:20:46,118
we know that women
are on the front lines
450
00:20:46,118 --> 00:20:47,812
of tending to their homes.
451
00:20:47,812 --> 00:20:50,400
To their subsistence-based
economies in their communities
452
00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:51,507
and their villages.
453
00:20:51,507 --> 00:20:54,565
And so when we are faced with,
for example, climate change
454
00:20:54,565 --> 00:20:56,221
– whether it's drought
or flooding,
455
00:20:56,221 --> 00:20:58,607
it's women
who are forced to leave.
456
00:20:58,607 --> 00:21:01,305
Because women are actually
often the primary breadwinners
457
00:21:01,305 --> 00:21:03,740
in communities where
people still are
458
00:21:03,740 --> 00:21:04,899
rooted in the land.
459
00:21:04,899 --> 00:21:08,622
When your entire identity,
and your entire livelihood,
460
00:21:08,622 --> 00:21:12,256
and your spiritual practices
are all land-based,
461
00:21:12,256 --> 00:21:14,525
and you're forced
to leave the land.
462
00:21:14,525 --> 00:21:18,157
When you can no longer
go to your sacred places.
463
00:21:18,157 --> 00:21:22,110
Where your stories
of origin sprout from.
464
00:21:22,110 --> 00:21:24,578
Where your people came from.
465
00:21:24,578 --> 00:21:28,290
The cultural genocide that
happens is immeasurable.
466
00:21:28,490 --> 00:21:31,197
The use of women
to support colonial
467
00:21:31,197 --> 00:21:35,386
or imperialist intervention
is nothing new.
468
00:21:35,386 --> 00:21:37,605
The entire project
of colonization,
469
00:21:37,605 --> 00:21:41,397
of the civilizing mission
that dates back 500 years,
470
00:21:41,397 --> 00:21:43,475
has often used
a feminist logic.
471
00:21:43,475 --> 00:21:46,743
And these kinds of narratives
are possible because,
472
00:21:46,743 --> 00:21:50,047
of course, one of the ways
which imperialism works
473
00:21:50,047 --> 00:21:52,522
is to exclude native voices.
474
00:21:52,522 --> 00:21:55,629
And this is something that
Gayatri Spivak calls
475
00:21:55,629 --> 00:21:59,071
“the very old civilizing logic
of white men and white women
476
00:21:59,071 --> 00:22:01,413
saving brown women
from brown men.”
477
00:22:01,413 --> 00:22:03,836
Women's bodies being
used as a tool in the
478
00:22:03,836 --> 00:22:06,486
regurgitation
of these orientalist
479
00:22:06,486 --> 00:22:10,122
and islamophobic tropes
come not just from states,
480
00:22:10,122 --> 00:22:12,962
but sadly also from
many western leftists
481
00:22:12,962 --> 00:22:14,415
or western feminists.
482
00:22:14,415 --> 00:22:17,607
People go to Syria on
regime-sponsored trips,
483
00:22:17,607 --> 00:22:20,836
and then they come back
and they write articles about
484
00:22:20,836 --> 00:22:23,497
how they saw women
in bikinis on the beach,
485
00:22:23,497 --> 00:22:26,606
or women drinking
alcohol in night clubs.
486
00:22:26,606 --> 00:22:28,525
And the message that
that sends is:
487
00:22:28,525 --> 00:22:32,374
“OK... genocide's okay,
as long as the social and
488
00:22:32,374 --> 00:22:36,254
liberated elite of Damascus
can party in bikinis.”
489
00:22:36,254 --> 00:22:38,274
And it's obviously absurd.
490
00:22:38,274 --> 00:22:40,501
The thing about feminism
is that
491
00:22:40,501 --> 00:22:43,493
it can take on
so many different forms.
492
00:22:43,493 --> 00:22:46,033
And so it is not uncommon
for the state,
493
00:22:46,033 --> 00:22:49,790
and particularly Empire,
to take on feminism
494
00:22:49,790 --> 00:22:52,094
as a putatively
progressive logic.
495
00:22:52,094 --> 00:22:53,540
And we also
see it similarly in
496
00:22:53,540 --> 00:22:54,757
the Prison-Industrial-Complex,
497
00:22:54,757 --> 00:22:56,535
where we're told that
we need more prisons
498
00:22:56,535 --> 00:22:57,785
and we need more cops.
499
00:22:57,785 --> 00:22:59,431
Because we need
to protect women.
500
00:22:59,431 --> 00:23:01,712
I think that it's important
to highlight how Black women
501
00:23:01,712 --> 00:23:04,255
are affected by carcerality
and by state violence.
502
00:23:04,255 --> 00:23:06,853
Black women are incarcerated
at something like four times
503
00:23:06,853 --> 00:23:08,551
the rate of white women.
504
00:23:08,551 --> 00:23:10,363
The criminalization
of Black women
505
00:23:10,363 --> 00:23:13,471
is also indicative of
this idea of a public,
506
00:23:13,471 --> 00:23:16,297
and public safety that
revolves around the threats
507
00:23:16,297 --> 00:23:17,427
to white women.
508
00:23:17,427 --> 00:23:19,486
Which includes all
Black and Brown people.
509
00:23:19,486 --> 00:23:21,820
And so the police
and prisons
510
00:23:21,820 --> 00:23:25,064
and military are part
of an imperial logic.
511
00:23:25,064 --> 00:23:29,592
A part of the carceral state
that uses, often, a feminist
512
00:23:29,592 --> 00:23:31,729
logic to advance
white supremacy,
513
00:23:31,729 --> 00:23:33,021
to advance social control.
514
00:23:36,844 --> 00:23:39,349
It is often said that
revolutionary theory
515
00:23:39,349 --> 00:23:41,528
is the domain of
bearded old white men.
516
00:23:41,528 --> 00:23:44,958
Not only does this myth
invisibilize the countless
517
00:23:44,958 --> 00:23:47,945
theoretical contributions
made by female revolutionaries
518
00:23:47,945 --> 00:23:49,003
over the years,
519
00:23:49,003 --> 00:23:52,330
from Rosa Luxembourg
to Comandanta Ramona,
520
00:23:52,330 --> 00:23:55,168
it also ignores the fact
that during the long period
521
00:23:55,168 --> 00:23:57,676
when men enjoyed the
near exclusive right to have
522
00:23:57,676 --> 00:24:00,150
their ideas published
and debated, women were
523
00:24:00,150 --> 00:24:03,427
busy putting revolutionary
theory into practice.
524
00:24:04,107 --> 00:24:06,500
From Louise Michel,
who held down the barricades
525
00:24:06,500 --> 00:24:09,894
of the Paris Commune while
tending to wounded comrades,
526
00:24:09,894 --> 00:24:10,824
to Lucy Parsons,
527
00:24:10,824 --> 00:24:13,203
co-founder of the Industrial
Workers of the World
528
00:24:13,203 --> 00:24:15,904
and a woman the Chicago Police
once described as
529
00:24:15,904 --> 00:24:18,328
“more dangerous
than a thousand rioters”.
530
00:24:18,328 --> 00:24:19,541
From Emma Goldman,
531
00:24:19,541 --> 00:24:22,211
who once beat Johann Most
on stage with a horsewhip
532
00:24:22,211 --> 00:24:23,540
for talking shit,
533
00:24:23,540 --> 00:24:25,117
to Maria Nikiforova,
534
00:24:25,117 --> 00:24:27,704
the feared Ukrainian
anarchist military commander
535
00:24:27,704 --> 00:24:30,962
and executioner of White
Guards and Bolsheviks alike.
536
00:24:30,962 --> 00:24:32,380
From Kanno Sugako,
537
00:24:32,380 --> 00:24:35,249
who was hanged at the age
of 29 for her failed attempt
538
00:24:35,249 --> 00:24:37,256
to assassinate
the Emperor of Japan,
539
00:24:37,256 --> 00:24:38,672
to Assata Shakur,
540
00:24:38,672 --> 00:24:41,745
who managed to escape the
bowels of the US gulag system
541
00:24:41,745 --> 00:24:44,047
and has now been on
the FBI's Most Wanted List
542
00:24:44,047 --> 00:24:45,581
for nearly four decades.
543
00:24:46,141 --> 00:24:47,879
Not to mention
the countless other women
544
00:24:47,879 --> 00:24:50,056
who've carried out
propaganda of the deed,
545
00:24:50,056 --> 00:24:53,350
rioted, led peasant revolts,
and fought on the front lines
546
00:24:53,350 --> 00:24:55,062
of revolutions
around the world.
547
00:24:55,062 --> 00:24:57,926
And to this day, women
are still holding it down,
548
00:24:57,926 --> 00:25:00,467
taking the lead in countless
struggles around the world,
549
00:25:00,467 --> 00:25:03,212
whether they're those waged
against resource extraction
550
00:25:03,212 --> 00:25:05,715
and the ongoing theft
of Indigenous lands,
551
00:25:05,715 --> 00:25:08,737
the liberation of Syrian
territories from Daesh
552
00:25:08,737 --> 00:25:11,603
and the fight against
Turkish aggression in Rojava,
553
00:25:11,603 --> 00:25:13,662
or the struggle
against racist policing
554
00:25:13,662 --> 00:25:15,470
in the so-called
United States.
555
00:25:16,138 --> 00:25:18,819
I think that any organizing
should be feminist organizing.
556
00:25:18,819 --> 00:25:21,026
I think that if there is
something that's affecting
557
00:25:21,026 --> 00:25:23,338
your community
that you want to address,
558
00:25:23,338 --> 00:25:26,278
it should be
with an anti-colonial,
559
00:25:26,278 --> 00:25:29,372
women-centered,
matriarchal focus.
560
00:25:30,452 --> 00:25:33,614
And so for me
the kind of feminism that
561
00:25:33,614 --> 00:25:36,632
I'm interested in talking about
is not a kind of feminism
562
00:25:36,632 --> 00:25:38,636
that is interested
in social control.
563
00:25:38,636 --> 00:25:41,361
Is not a feminism
that is interested in
564
00:25:41,361 --> 00:25:44,155
who the fuck a CEO is,
or who the next president
565
00:25:44,155 --> 00:25:46,003
is going to be, of Empire.
566
00:25:46,003 --> 00:25:47,854
But it's a kind of feminism
that's based
567
00:25:47,854 --> 00:25:48,956
on liberation, right?
568
00:25:48,956 --> 00:25:50,979
That is anti-capitalist,
that is anti-racist,
569
00:25:50,979 --> 00:25:52,080
and more and more and more.
570
00:25:52,080 --> 00:25:53,117
And that seeks freedom.
571
00:25:53,117 --> 00:25:54,807
Any kinds of feminism
572
00:25:54,807 --> 00:25:56,619
– imperial feminisms
and otherwise –
573
00:25:56,619 --> 00:25:59,651
that seek more control,
that seek more domination,
574
00:25:59,651 --> 00:26:02,842
are the antithesis
of what feminism is about
575
00:26:02,842 --> 00:26:06,069
if we understand feminism
to be a lens of liberation.
576
00:26:06,919 --> 00:26:10,596
I hope that the new
emerging feminist movement
577
00:26:10,596 --> 00:26:13,134
is learning
the lessons of the past.
578
00:26:13,134 --> 00:26:16,972
You cannot imagine to
change the condition of women
579
00:26:16,972 --> 00:26:20,936
simply by shifting
forms of exploitation.
580
00:26:20,936 --> 00:26:25,873
It's very important instead
to understand, y'know,
581
00:26:25,873 --> 00:26:29,143
what are
the structural mechanisms
582
00:26:29,143 --> 00:26:32,486
that allow for
that exploitation?
583
00:26:32,486 --> 00:26:35,035
And this is where
we have to organize.
584
00:26:36,725 --> 00:26:39,684
Feminist projects that
are really exciting right now
585
00:26:39,684 --> 00:26:43,351
are feminisms that understand
the different connections
586
00:26:43,351 --> 00:26:45,823
between all the different
systems that we're living in.
587
00:26:46,593 --> 00:26:48,851
Working-class feminisms,
for example.
588
00:26:48,851 --> 00:26:52,727
Feminisms that center the
experiences of sex workers.
589
00:26:52,727 --> 00:26:55,312
Transfeminisms,
Indigenous feminisms,
590
00:26:55,312 --> 00:26:56,888
Black feminisms,
migrant feminisms,
591
00:26:56,888 --> 00:26:58,179
all of these things
that understand
592
00:26:58,179 --> 00:26:59,715
that these systems
are connected,
593
00:26:59,715 --> 00:27:01,333
and that feminism
is not simply
594
00:27:01,333 --> 00:27:04,414
the advancement of some women
at the expense of others.
595
00:27:04,414 --> 00:27:08,198
I'm also most interested
in feminism that is aiming
596
00:27:08,198 --> 00:27:11,186
to visibilize all the
different kinds of labour
597
00:27:11,186 --> 00:27:13,645
that exists in our society.
598
00:27:14,415 --> 00:27:16,715
We need to learn
from their experiences.
599
00:27:16,715 --> 00:27:18,802
We need to
promote their voices.
600
00:27:18,802 --> 00:27:21,193
And in that way,
we can address some of this
601
00:27:21,193 --> 00:27:23,992
current imbalance
and ensure that Syrian women
602
00:27:23,992 --> 00:27:27,368
are able to speak for
and represent themselves.
603
00:27:28,278 --> 00:27:30,486
Just make a girl gang,
you know?
604
00:27:30,486 --> 00:27:31,280
Everyone should just have
605
00:27:31,280 --> 00:27:33,043
their own girl gang
in their neighbourhoods,
606
00:27:33,043 --> 00:27:34,271
and in their communities.
607
00:27:34,271 --> 00:27:35,736
Our movements
will never be effective
608
00:27:35,736 --> 00:27:37,197
if we don't feel safe in them.
609
00:27:38,217 --> 00:27:40,069
Both anarchism
and Black feminism
610
00:27:40,069 --> 00:27:43,420
are theorizing about the
violence of racial capitalism.
611
00:27:43,420 --> 00:27:45,647
They're theorizing
about the violence
612
00:27:45,647 --> 00:27:47,464
of the American state.
613
00:27:47,464 --> 00:27:48,870
To synthesize the two
614
00:27:48,870 --> 00:27:51,749
into a Black feminist
anarchism, for example,
615
00:27:51,749 --> 00:27:55,703
would be to make
more efficient the racial
616
00:27:55,703 --> 00:27:57,554
and gender
critiques of the state.
617
00:27:57,554 --> 00:28:00,260
And to also racialize
the anti-state
618
00:28:00,260 --> 00:28:02,483
politic of anarchism.
619
00:28:03,483 --> 00:28:06,722
I encourage women
and femme folks
620
00:28:06,722 --> 00:28:10,045
to get involved in
male-dominated spaces
621
00:28:10,045 --> 00:28:12,165
... but go in and
have each others' backs.
622
00:28:12,165 --> 00:28:14,472
And change those
spaces into something
623
00:28:14,472 --> 00:28:17,386
that's more welcoming
and more inclusive
624
00:28:17,386 --> 00:28:19,043
of people of all genders.
625
00:28:19,043 --> 00:28:24,370
And that doesn't necessarily
mean making it less radical,
626
00:28:24,370 --> 00:28:27,351
or taking less
confrontational action.
627
00:28:27,351 --> 00:28:30,510
And it doesn't mean
shifting priorities to
628
00:28:30,510 --> 00:28:34,388
try to prioritize care work
over revolutionary struggle,
629
00:28:34,388 --> 00:28:36,087
or aggressive or
confrontational work.
630
00:28:36,087 --> 00:28:40,327
It means to re-contextualize
those kinds of things
631
00:28:40,327 --> 00:28:42,750
as not in the
realm of machismo,
632
00:28:42,750 --> 00:28:45,897
but as something that people
of all genders engage in.
633
00:28:46,707 --> 00:28:50,136
I don't know that violence
is always the answer,
634
00:28:50,136 --> 00:28:53,486
but I think in some situations
it can be an answer.
635
00:28:53,486 --> 00:28:57,715
And if you're talking about
femicide, rape culture,
636
00:28:57,715 --> 00:29:01,352
sexual violence, the rise
of the misogynist right
637
00:29:01,352 --> 00:29:04,303
... I think that's a situation
in which everything
638
00:29:04,303 --> 00:29:06,660
should be on the table
to at least discuss.
639
00:29:06,660 --> 00:29:09,405
You don't wanna give up your
ability to engage in that way.
640
00:29:09,405 --> 00:29:10,938
That makes you
very vulnerable.
641
00:29:10,938 --> 00:29:14,086
I don't believe
in silver bullets
642
00:29:14,086 --> 00:29:16,345
... or I think there's
a lot of important
643
00:29:16,345 --> 00:29:18,894
and meaningful
work to be done.
644
00:29:18,894 --> 00:29:21,295
That's less about
the specific issue
645
00:29:21,295 --> 00:29:23,250
or area that
you're focusing on,
646
00:29:23,250 --> 00:29:25,888
but more about
how you're engaging with it.
647
00:29:25,888 --> 00:29:29,788
Are you looking at things
beyond just individual actions?
648
00:29:29,788 --> 00:29:32,868
Trying to look at it in
terms of collective responses
649
00:29:32,868 --> 00:29:35,088
... material responses?
650
00:29:35,088 --> 00:29:37,953
Are you looking at
trying to build autonomy
651
00:29:37,953 --> 00:29:39,367
outside of the state?
652
00:29:39,367 --> 00:29:42,151
Are you looking at trying
to build a feminist politics
653
00:29:42,151 --> 00:29:46,352
that isn't just about
petitioning to representatives
654
00:29:46,352 --> 00:29:50,327
or trying to get more
institutional representation?
655
00:29:50,327 --> 00:29:52,849
I think the world
is generally shit.
656
00:29:52,849 --> 00:29:55,207
But I think because
it's generally shit,
657
00:29:55,207 --> 00:29:57,873
the only worthwhile
thing to do is struggle.
658
00:29:57,873 --> 00:30:01,988
And I feel like there's a lot
of really inspiring history
659
00:30:01,988 --> 00:30:04,127
and a lot of
really amazing people
660
00:30:04,127 --> 00:30:06,472
who have fought back
and struggled
661
00:30:06,472 --> 00:30:07,921
in a lot of different ways.
662
00:30:07,921 --> 00:30:09,224
And it's useful to sort of
look at some of
663
00:30:09,224 --> 00:30:10,511
the different things
that they did.
664
00:30:12,602 --> 00:30:14,218
Although there's still
a long way to go
665
00:30:14,218 --> 00:30:16,655
to the abolition of
gender-based inequality,
666
00:30:16,655 --> 00:30:19,281
the past few decades have seen
major advancements
667
00:30:19,281 --> 00:30:20,735
for women around the world.
668
00:30:20,735 --> 00:30:22,674
Each step forward
has been a struggle,
669
00:30:22,674 --> 00:30:25,057
as men of all stripes
have sought to retain
670
00:30:25,057 --> 00:30:27,549
the various manifestations
of power and control
671
00:30:27,549 --> 00:30:29,380
afforded them
under patriarchy.
672
00:30:29,910 --> 00:30:32,207
But today, even many of
these hard-fought victories
673
00:30:32,207 --> 00:30:34,106
are under threat
of being clawed back
674
00:30:34,106 --> 00:30:36,533
by resurgent movements
of male reaction,
675
00:30:36,533 --> 00:30:40,187
authoritarian nationalism
and religious fundamentalism.
676
00:30:40,187 --> 00:30:42,837
From MRAs, who blame feminists
677
00:30:42,837 --> 00:30:45,968
for the many hardships
that men face under capitalism
678
00:30:45,968 --> 00:30:48,699
to the violent misogyny
that has embedded itself
679
00:30:48,699 --> 00:30:50,106
at the heart of the alt-right,
680
00:30:50,106 --> 00:30:52,401
to the religious fanaticism
of Mike Pence
681
00:30:52,401 --> 00:30:53,813
and the Islamic State.
682
00:30:53,813 --> 00:30:55,964
This is no time for us
to rest on the laurels
683
00:30:55,964 --> 00:30:57,655
of our past achievements
684
00:30:57,655 --> 00:31:00,491
... it is crucial that we
continue to deepen and extend
685
00:31:00,491 --> 00:31:03,076
the struggle against
patriarchy on all fronts,
686
00:31:03,076 --> 00:31:06,112
and that we prepare ourselves
for the battles to come.
687
00:31:06,112 --> 00:31:08,283
So at this point,
we’d like to remind you
688
00:31:08,283 --> 00:31:11,099
that Trouble is intended
to be watched in groups,
689
00:31:11,099 --> 00:31:13,453
and to be used as a resource
to promote discussion
690
00:31:13,453 --> 00:31:15,068
and collective organizing.
691
00:31:15,068 --> 00:31:16,801
Are you interested
in starting up
692
00:31:16,801 --> 00:31:18,943
a revolutionary
feminist collective,
693
00:31:18,943 --> 00:31:21,771
or helping to better
incorporate feminist analysis
694
00:31:21,771 --> 00:31:23,867
into your established
organizing projects?
695
00:31:23,867 --> 00:31:25,724
Consider getting together
with some comrades,
696
00:31:25,724 --> 00:31:27,342
organizing a
screening of this film,
697
00:31:27,342 --> 00:31:29,181
and discussing
what this would entail.
698
00:31:29,181 --> 00:31:31,420
Interested in running
regular screenings of Trouble
699
00:31:31,420 --> 00:31:33,756
at your campus, infoshop,
community center,
700
00:31:33,756 --> 00:31:35,916
or even just at home
with friends?
701
00:31:35,916 --> 00:31:37,644
Become a Trouble-Maker!
702
00:31:37,644 --> 00:31:39,536
For 10 bucks a month,
we’ll hook you up
703
00:31:39,536 --> 00:31:42,323
with an advanced copy of the
show, and a screening kit
704
00:31:42,323 --> 00:31:44,544
featuring additional resources
and some questions
705
00:31:44,544 --> 00:31:46,478
you can use
to get a discussion going.
706
00:31:46,478 --> 00:31:49,710
If you can’t afford to support
us financially, no worries!
707
00:31:49,710 --> 00:31:52,709
You can stream and/or download
all our content for free
708
00:31:52,709 --> 00:31:53,634
off our website:
709
00:31:56,340 --> 00:31:58,523
If you’ve got any
suggestions for show topics,
710
00:31:58,523 --> 00:32:01,067
or just want to get in touch,
drop us a line at:
711
00:32:03,648 --> 00:32:05,514
This episode
would not have been possible
712
00:32:05,514 --> 00:32:06,764
without the generous
support of
713
00:32:06,764 --> 00:32:10,070
Carla, John, Devin
and Nikos Pelasgos.
714
00:32:10,070 --> 00:32:12,052
Now get out there,
and make some trouble!