During the protests against the G8 in the area around Heiligendamm,
sexism, sexual police violence and the threats of sexual police violence
repeatedly occurred. We are looking for witnesses, on the one hand for
an internal exchange and a strengthening amongst the affected persons,
on the other hand so that a group of affected persons, in an anonymous
form, is able to act. This is important, so that this theme will be out
in the public politically, since sexual police violence is mostly not
addressed, especially not in the public. It is also important for this
to come to the expected commission of inquiry. For us it's also
important to point out, that there was also sexism and sexual violence
within the protest movement against the G8. Even though we are focusing
on the police, it is important that the sexual violence within the
movement isn't forgotten.
But first about the classification of sexism and sexual violence in
general, before becoming more concrete. The division of people in two
sexes and the hierarchization of sexes is the creation of a system of
force, on which base our society is built. With that, inclusions and
exclusions are made, specific attributions and duties are assigned, from
division of work until for example speech style. In order to maintain
this system of force, it has to be actively created anew over and over
again. In this societal process, sexism and sexual violence is an
instrument of power in order to create and maintain these relations of
power and to create and maintain hierarchies and dependencies. So this
is a common practice to create hierarchical gender ratios.
Now about sexism and sexual violence as practices of state-run
institutions of force, like the police and the army:
Sexism and sexual violence and especially rape are used and sometimes
recommended, among other things, in situations of war as an instrument
of destruction, exercise of power and humiliation of the so-called
enemy. But also in so-called times of peace, structural violence is
created through sexism and sexual violence. In the ongoing discourse
it's again and again suggested that sexual violence and rape are
exceptions and exposed individual cases. Reality is however, that sexism
and sexual violence are daily life conditions, therefore the rule.
Sexism and sexual violence operate like a weapon and are a purposeful
directed instrument for use of violence and repression. This has
continuity, for example after the raid on the Diaz school in
Geneva,several women were threatened with rape.
Sexual violence completely ignores the right of self-determination of
the affected persons. It attacks the physical and psychic integrity and
acts in a traumatizing way.
In addition to the terrible experiences of violence, powerlessness and
humiliation for the victims of sexual violence there is also the burden
with feelings of shame and guilt with which the affected persons often
have to struggle. Moreover it is an incredible stigma to identify
yourself as a survivor of sexual violence and to take the step into this
process, to formulate the experience of violence, to politicize it, to
name and accuse the perpetrator. Because of all these reasons, sexual
violence mostly can't be named as such in public. Huge resources are
needed, such as support through friends, counseling or supporter-groups,
to place yourself in this position. But even if the survivor finds
strength enough to speak about the experience, mostly there's a second
victimization, thus more injuries in succession. In addition with the
burden of repeatedly having to talk about traumatizing experiences,
there are mostly disastrous reactions from the outside: Either the
woman's story is not believed, detailed information is demanded, it's
said she's also partly guilty for what happened, or she is being
defamed as being ill, crazy or hysterical.
These are, amongst others, reasons why survivors don't dare to take
legitimate steps. It maybe that their belief in the legal system is
shattered, or they don't feel strong enough to be able and walk this
path or try to escape the stigmatization from others. The bigger part
of the incidences is not being reported, and we as a support group for
survivors also advise against filing charges in most of the cases.
On the other hand, affected people act based on a strength, which comes
from the knowledge beforehand, that repression might happen and that
sexism and sexual violence is a part in that. They don't let it get to
them and don't let it terrorize them. They are prepared inside and
shield themselves against what might come. The strength and decisiveness
of the movement was used by them to not let the experiences of violence
get to close to them and to face all this full of self confidence.
The incidents with which people came and talked to us about, go for
example from the denial of tampons, police controls where people were
grabbed in the crotch and their breasts, sometimes accompanied with lewd
noises, police controls or ID treatments during which people had to
undress fully or partly before their picture was taken, to the point of
threats of rape in jails (GeSa).
All this happened in a context, in which police arbitrarily demonstrated
and enforced their entitlement of force and sovereignty through coercion
and violence. Activists saw themselves confronted with partial masked
and armored police forces in black. An arbitrary control and search or
even worse, preventative arrest to “prevent danger”, speaks a very clear
language: WE HAVE THE POWER – YOU DON'T.
Sexism and sexual violence, like shown in these examples, always stand
in this context. They are used knowingly and purposefully, to intensify
the already staged practice of humiliation and repression.
C'est cet article, à propos du retour de la morale dans les programmes scolaires, qui m'a décidé à vous le présenter. 
Le document qui suis est la traduction en français du HOWTO Encourage Women in Linux, un document écrit sur le modèle des fameux HOW-TO, courant dans linux et UNIX. 
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