The best way to understand the curse of sexual violence is to view our society as we would observe wildlife societies among mammals. Of course they are sometimes brutal and always in pursuit of preservation of the self and the species. It is the way nature meant it to be, and it is essential to life among all species. Based upon these natural facts, it shows that the female of the species takes care of the essentials for survival.
The male animal always wants to copulate, and the female animal must understand that. The female needs to be ‘in heat’. The scent reaches males, and they fight for the right to mate with the female. The winner gets the female and impregnates her. It works out – nature’s design – that the female’s body is ready to have an egg fertilized. Nature’s design has the male always wanting sex because the urge is to have one’s genes carry on into the future. The male has to deal with the fact that there is no ‘ready’ female around. That’s why groups of males are seen lying around in the sun.
Coming to our own species, a high level of primate but still primates, we are basically the same as all the other primates and all the other mammals. We males always have the urge to mate, and the females have to be in the mood. On the downtown streets of any city, men on the street are dressed for comfort, labour, or business. The women on the street are usually attractive. Some women, of course, are asexual, and they look it. But women who are truly alive look sexual. Their necklines, their hemlines, legs and shoes often appear to be designed to attract males – but they are not! Women dress for other women, to look good among women.
This is where the imbalance comes into our society.
Beautifully turned out women attract men, even if they don’t intend to. Sometimes, they do intend to attract a man… or some men. How are we to know what’s going on in her head? She might not even notice me, or she might be hoping I speak to her. When we’re old enough to have the experience, we can tell how she’s feeling some of the time. When we’re young, women are frightening and full of mystery. That never goes away completely.
Women have the stronger spirit. That’s why they can survive and even excel in a society full of men. Men who lack sensitivity and respect for the enormously important roll women play in society are the ones that live in fear of women and fight desperately to overcome it, violently. When a man deserts a woman, many times they rise to heights that they never expected to attain. A woman will do what she has to do to defend and nurture her home and family. Many men can do the same, and are successful at it. At the same time, too many men cop out on the serious matters of life.
Little girls grow up to be women. Little boys grow up to be big boys. It’s up to women to make us do the right things, and when they succeed, we men become better people.