“Women get raped all the time”- these were the exact words of Canadian PM Justin Trudeau in response to a question raised on legalising abortion. If you look at the video you would be disturbed to the core to see how nonchalantly the PM uttered this highly insensitive comment, almost to an extent of trivializing something which is otherwise a highly iniquitous sin.
Rape is a heinous crime that can have a profound and lasting impact on its victims. It is a violation of a person’s bodily autonomy and can lead to physical, psychological, and emotional trauma. Unfortunately, Trudeau’s statements on rape comes out as very immature and can harm survivors and perpetuate a culture that normalizes sexual violence.
Trivializing rape can take many forms, such as making jokes about sexual assault or using language that minimizes the severity of the crime, something which the liberal poster boy did in his recent conversation.
This type of behavior displayed by so called “progressive Trudeau” can create a culture where sexual violence is normalized or even celebrated, making it more difficult for survivors to come forward and seek justice. Furthermore, trivializing rape can lead to victim blaming, where survivors are held responsible for their own assault, instead of holding the perpetrator accountable.
When rape is trivialized, it can also lead to a lack of understanding about the long-term consequences of sexual violence. Survivors of rape may experience a range of psychological and emotional effects, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and difficulty forming intimate relationships. Trivializing rape can make it more difficult for survivors to seek help or feel that they are taken seriously, which can exacerbate the trauma they experience.
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Trivializing rape can also have a ripple effect on society as a whole. When sexual violence is normalized or downplayed, it can create a culture that allows other forms of violence to occur. For example, domestic violence and sexual harassment are often seen as less severe forms of violence than rape, but they are still serious crimes that can cause significant harm to victims. When society tolerates sexual violence, it can create a climate where other forms of violence are more likely to occur.
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Moreover, trivializing rape can make it more difficult for society to address the root causes of sexual violence. Rape is not a spontaneous act committed by an individual, but rather the result of a complex set of factors, including social, cultural, and economic conditions. By trivializing rape, we risk ignoring the underlying causes of this crime and focus solely on punishing individual perpetrators.
But don’t be hoodwinked, this is not the first time that Trudeau has done something which is highly offensive to women. Under Trudeau’s stewardship the very notion of women is in danger. The Liberal government is redefining the concept of women to include individuals who identify as transgender women. While it is important to respect the rights and dignity of transgender individuals, redefining the concept of woman in a way that includes trans women can harm women’s rights and erode the meaning of womanhood as a distinct category.
The concept of womanhood has historically been associated with biological sex, and that this definition has been the foundation for many important legal and social protections for women. By redefining womanhood to include individuals who are biologically male but identify as women, we risk undermining these protections and erasing the distinct experiences and perspectives of women as a social and political category.
Even more pressingly, if we lose a working concept of “female” in the way indicated, self-declared trans women (males) may well eventually gain unrestricted access to protected spaces originally introduced to shield females from sexual violence from males.
We are already seeing the erosion of these, as companies and charities open formerly female-only spaces such as changing rooms, shared accommodation, swimming ponds, hospital wards, and prisons, to everyone out of a desire not to appear transphobic. And such fears have already turned true. There are numerous cases in Canada of “trans women” committing crimes against heterosexual women.
For instance, last year, it was reported that a woman in Canada was allegedly raped by a sex offender at a women’s shelter after the predator identified as transgender in order to gain access to the facility.
Shane Jacob Green, 25, was arrested on August 24, 2022, by Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). At the time, the OPP issued a notice stating Green had been charged with two counts of sexual assault, four counts of failing to comply with a probation order, and one count of failing to comply with a release order. But it was later revealed that the crimes had occurred while Green was staying in a local women’s shelter.
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To be clear, while the vast majority of transgender individuals do not pose a threat to women, there are always concerns about predators who may take advantage of policies that allow men to enter women’s spaces in order to commit sexual assault or other forms of violence. As a society we need to balance the rights of transgender individuals with the need to ensure the safety and privacy of women. But Trudeau is so entrenched in his progressive, utopic cloud cuckoo land that he doesn’t understand this basic reality.
As the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau has a responsibility to promote policies that support and protect women’s rights. This includes addressing issues such as gender-based violence, pay equity, and access to healthcare and education. His government has not done enough to address systemic inequalities faced by women in Canada.
Institutionalizing policies which are inherently prejudiced against women or downplaying heinous crimes like rape is the last thing one would expect from their PM. If Trudeau has even an iota of shame, he would come out and apologize for his actions and work to create a more just and equitable society for all Canadians.
