Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Doug Collins

One Man's Opinion

COLLINS: Women face an appalling uphill battle

Dec 10, 2023 | 6:00 AM

Trigger warning: This column discusses gender-based violence.

THIS WEEK, WE HELD A VIGIL to commemorate the 1989 massacre of 14 women in an attack at the Polytechnique Institute in Montreal. The shooting was a horror story that remains glued in our memories. And 34 years later, the fight by women for equal standing is no further ahead.

The patriarchal system with man as its head continues to put women on a lower plane than men, subject to being pawns at the hands of the male species. Playthings for men, whose only purpose in life is for male sexual gratification and having babies.

Just looking at stories in the past week. We see celebrities charged with rape, we see cases of domestic disputes turning into murders, women being trafficked all over the world to be sex slaves, passed from person to person, trapped in a life of prostitution. The horrible atrocities inflicted on women by Hamas invaders who attacked Israel recently, women getting gang raped by groups of men for a lark.

In Europe, a gang on trial for raping a woman was apparently just letting off steam, according to testimony by some “expert.” In Africa, warring factions committed atrocities against women after capture.

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All of this going back to a patriarchal system that has been in place forever. All the efforts by women over the years to be treated with respect and dignity have had to be fought against this gigantic oppressive horde of men who feel they are superior.

There have been some success stories, but they are relatively few. Women in the military, police forces and firefighters have to constantly face harassment by their coworkers, abuse and mental pressure from those who tell them they’re not tough enough, strong enough and otherwise not capable of doing the job.

Under Catholic doctrine women, cannot be priests. Among segments of Judaism, women cannot become rabbis.

For every woman who rises to meet the challenge are multitudes who continue to be persecuted. It’s a long battle and will not be won easily. Women will need exceptional strength and courage to make permanent change. If not, battered women’s shelters will grow in numbers, sex trafficking rings will continue to be big business and women in general will continue to be subjected to the type of violence we’ve seen even in only the past couple of weeks.

I’m Doug Collins and that’s One Man’s Opinion.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.