PUTNEY — A particular man in Hollywood is not The Problem.
A particular politician is not The Problem.
The Problem is all around us, affecting all of us.
It is every time a girl is not welcomed fully at birth.
It is every time a boy is taught that “to be a man” means to have power over others, rather than to be fully human and caring and respectful toward others.
It is every time an ad for a car features a woman, often scantily clad, who becomes an object rather than a person in the eyes of the viewer.
It is every time a girl's or woman's voice is not listened to.
It is every time someone asks a female, “Why aren't you smiling?” As if her role is to please others.
It is every time the word “no” or “stop” is not responded to by stopping.
It is every time someone thinks they have a “right” to take something from another human.
It is every time anyone acts as if a female is not completely in charge of her own body. No one “owes” anyone access to her body.
It is every time someone judges a female body as “less female” or not beautiful because of size or features or hair color or skin color or style of clothes.
It is every time the stereotyped “beauty” of advertisements is foisted on us to try and make us feel not good enough so we will spend money that just makes some company rich.
It is anytime someone puts artificial limits on another by saying, “You can't do that because you are female” or “You can't do that because you are male.”
The Remedy to The Problem involves each of us knowing for ourselves and for every one around us that we have a right to our full self and power over our own life and own mind.
The Remedy involves us all seeing and valuing the beauty of aliveness and strength and intelligence in each person.
The Remedy also involves making society's institutions and structures, such as schools, governments, religious institutions, newspapers, TV, and internet allow and nurture all humans, regardless of gender, to achieve their full potential and power over their own lives.