Violence against women takes on the form of a bonding ritual amongst groups of men who put what they have viewed in pornography into practice.

Guest post by Dr Em

Originally published at Uncommon Ground Media

A court has heard how Footballer Mike Emery raped a sleeping woman twice in one night and sent naked photos of her to his teammates asking them: “Anyone want a go?” Emery sent these photos of his alleged rape victim with a laughing emoji ‘to two WhatsApp group chats, comprising 70’ men. They did not go to the police, or call for help, instead, one man responded 'Show us her gash', to which ‘Emery allegedly sent a photograph showing the woman's vaginal area’. Emery’s victim only found out about the intimate photos of her he had shared with all of these men after Warrington Rylands club chairman Mark Pye informed her. A jury found Emery not guilty, because, one presumes, this is seemingly normal behaviour. Indeed, it is happening frequently. A different footballer and a different rape made the headlines again in 2024 as the former Man City and Real Madrid player Robinho was ordered to be jailed in his home country after he was found guilty of taking part in the gang rape of an Albanian woman celebrating her 23rd birthday at a Milan nightclub. A court in Milan had stated that Robinho had acted with "special contempt for the victim, who was brutally humiliated”.

We are grateful for the opportunity to provide input into the Special Rapporteur’s report on violence against women and prostitution.

Emergency national cabinet meeting tomorrow must address porn as a driver of violence 

In response to a rising tide of violence against women – including a spate of recent homicides - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said we need to “change culture” if we are to prevent this violence. He has called an emergency meeting of State Premiers and Chief Ministers tomorrow to respond to the crisis.

It’s no secret that mainstream porn is dominated by male violence and aggression against women. A report by the French equality watchdog last year found that as much as 90% of porn features verbal, physical and sexual violence towards women, and a significant amount constituted torture. 

As porn has become more mainstream, its messages – that violence against women is sexy, and women desire and enjoy violence and abuse – have seeped into mainstream popular culture. Strangulation or ‘sexual choking’*, an act of violence that has been popularised in porn, has become so normalised it is referenced and promoted in advertising, TV, social media, popular songs and on clothing – even for babies.

Last month we launched our campaign against online apparel company, Teepublic, who is selling harmful and degrading clothing, including onesies for infants, with slogans glorifying violence against women and exploitation of children. 

I'm fairly certain there's minimal moderation happening on Aus owned @TeePublic. Slogans encouraging sexual assault of infants? @BraveheartsInc @AusChildhood @Child_Wise @AnneHollonds @mike_salter @TeamCarlyCRF @DanielMorcombe @ActforKids @icmecauofficial @TheCybercop1 @MCG58 pic.twitter.com/ohyTyrRIR5

— Coralie Alison (@CoralieAlison) February 26, 2024

The following day TeePublic responded claiming they had removed the identified items from their platform however we found hundreds more still up. We continued to call them out on social media requesting they do a full investigation and remove all harmful products depicting violence against women and child abuse. 

Five days later, I decided to purchase one of the onesies to test whether TeePublic would in fact produce the products and ship it. Well guess what just arrived in the mail.

TeePublic responds - but we're not buying it!

*Content warning*

Last Friday we launched a new campaign against online apparel company TeePublic for selling harmful and degrading clothing, including onesies for infants, with slogans glorifying violence against women and exploitation of children. We found countless onesies depicting women being choked, bound, handcuffed, on a leash and chained up.

"Choke me - it's the only way I learn." On a baby onesie - and plenty more like it. @TeePublic is using babies as a vehicle for promoting the sexualised abuse of women. @Martin_Hosking any response?@collectiveshout https://t.co/48FqCHWgTB pic.twitter.com/VV0wWJv1Ok

— Caitlin Roper (@caitlin_roper) February 23, 2024

Supporters swiftly took to social media to call out TeePublic for turning a blind eye to the sexualisation of children and profiting off the degradation and abuse of women.

As much as 90% of pornographic content online features verbal, physical and sexual violence towards women, and a significant amount of violence shown is punishable under existing laws in France, a report by the government-nominated equality watchdog has found.

The report said: “The women are real, the sexual acts and the violence is real, the suffering is often perfectly visible and at the same time eroticised.”

A significant amount of content amounted to torture. 

Sylvie Pierre-Brossolette, the head of the French equality watchdog, told France Inter radio there was “no reason in 2023 to tolerate these illegal acts of unbearable torture” which were being shown to minors. She called pornography “a school for sexual violence” which must stop.

Porn + prostitution harms to women and children exacerbated by pandemic, war  

In our December 2022 submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade inquiry, we highlighted the issues of

• sexual violence against women and children
• the role of the sex industry in normalising and perpetuating this violence
• the particular impact on migrant women within the sex industry in Australia and on pornography as a driver of violence against women

MTR delivers a virtual presentation at the Commission on the Status of Women in New York