False accusations from women should end with us.
Most accusations of abuse and oppression are completely legitimate. However, it only takes a handful of false accusations to shift the narrative from one that favors women’s equality to one that diminishes their credibility. The modern media outlets that choose to celebrate the false allegations to boost engagement versus acknowledging the authentic truth needs to end.
Background On The Fight For Equality
The fight for equality in the feminist movement remains perpetually ongoing, despite ceaseless efforts for progress. Women are respected and given higher credibility now more than ever; but only because of the endless battle for equality through movements such as the Women’s Suffrage to Roe v. Wade. While “survivors of violence are speaking out more than ever before, and everyone has a role to play to ensure they can have justice,” it is time for the media to take responsibility for their role in the evaluation of false claims. They must reassess the way in which they respond and take a stronger stance in favor of legitimate claims versus only headlining false accusations.
Proving the validity of abuse requires a significant amount of evidence, and many women conceal their abuse on the pretense that their voice alone will not be enough. Although “a survivor’s statement may be cause to justify an arrest. . . [and] corroborating evidence can help build a stronger case, unfortunately, this sometimes hinders many women from speaking out. Not from the fear of being wrong, but from the fear of misinterpreted information being reported by the media.
Taking Advantage Of The Feminist Movement
Just like any large group of people searching to create change from prejudice: the LGBTQ+ movement, the Civil Rights movement, and now the feminist movement, there are always a handful who take advantage of the unity and progress for personal gain despite the consequences on the reputation of the movement. However, it is much easier for the media to focus on the minority – the selfish few – which hinder the general movement. Instances such as the Johnny-Depp/Amber Heard and the Justin Baldoni/Blake Lively lawsuits exemplify the damaging effects of false accusations which degrade the validity of legitimate claims.
The Reasoning For These Accusations?
Money. Power. And Greed.
Ignoring the fundamental essence of the feminist movement which focuses on “all genders having equal rights and opportunities.” These selfish women cater to the belief system that claims “a man can react, a woman can only overreact.” By doing so, not only are they disparaging those who are credible in their claims, but they are also setting back the feminist movement.
As as example, headlines for the Amber Heard trial were: Is Amber Heard’s Trial The End Of Believing Women? or Amber Heard & The Myth of the Perfect Victim. The problem with these headlines is that it clouds the progress made by women and leads some to hiding their abuse, oppression, and sexual assault versus coming forward. Society generalizes the few accusers that were proven to be liars, and allege other women that this “myth is extremely damaging because the fear of being called a liar can and does deter women from reporting the abuse they have experienced.” Not to generalize strictly to abuse, but women can be accused as liars in any retaliation of oppression or injustice.
By no means is this an attempt to diminish the stories of real survivors; in fact, it is quite the opposite. The media and society needs to correctly and equally share the truth behind the oppression and abuse, not simply these false accusations.
