Britain finds a new voice for women in campaign against sexualisation
As newly appointed CEO of Object, Van Heeswijk is at the helm of one of the most influential feminist organisations in the UK and tasked with spearheading the fight against the "pornification" of society. The appointment comes only weeks after Van Heeswijk gave evidence to the Leveson inquiry about the sexist portrayal of women in the press. Armed with a catalogue of images published by the Sun, the Sport and the Star, she exposed how frequently women are portrayed as sex objects through features like Page Three.
"Our argument and solutions are simple," she says. "This type of sexually objectifying material would be restricted on television because of the recognised harms associated with these stereotyped portrayals of women and it would be considered sexual harassment if it was in the workplace. Why is it, then, that they should be printed in mainstream newspapers which are not age-restricted and are sold and displayed at child's eye level?" Object, along with Eaves, Equality Now, End Violence Against Women and Turn Your Back on Page Three want this regulatory gap to be closed.
*
Was Van Heeswijk nervous about taking on News International? "No. Because I know that we don't stand alone. We stand shoulder to shoulder with thousands of people across the UK who are sick of this sexism." This time the protest hasn't been shut down so easily. Sun editor Dominic Mohan was recalled to the inquiry to answer Van Heeswijk's charge and, while his response was predictably dismissive, she is resolute. "It was a historic moment that the editor of the Sun was held to account about Page Three in such a public forum." Indeed, the legal footing for this so-called "institution" has never looked so precarious.
*
For now, Van Heeswijk's focus is firmly on Rupert Murdoch. Shortly after giving evidence to Leveson, Object requested a meeting with him. His response was brief. "Ladies, I have read the proceedings before the Leveson inquiry and have nothing to add to what Mr Dominic Mohan said at that time." So the "ladies" are planning to protest outside News International. You cannot help thinking that Murdoch should be concerned.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/15/anna-van-heeswijk-page-three-tabloid
= new reply since forum marked as read
...
Charlotte Mclean, 18, another member, said: “Maybe decades ago people thought feminists were all old lesbians who hated men.
“That is so clichéd. It is not like that – it is about people treating people equally.”
She said: “I joined because I was unhappy at the image of women I was seeing. It does affect people. It may seem like a small thing but the Camden School for Girls gets good speakers in assemblies and at the end there is time for questions. It is always the boys who get to ask their questions first.”
She added: “We’ve had students who are only 13 or 14 being beeped outside the front of the school by men driving past. You think: how can this even be allowed?”
...
I am especially drawn to the first line you quote.
Many people did not really think this. My thoughts, having been around during some of this is that there were a few men who were smart enough to see what was happening who did not want it to change. They are the one's who started all of that. At that time you could not really blame women who took up the call with the men, it was not so easy then to be a single female trying to support herself and it was still a terrible burden with a large stigma to be a divorced woman. A very frightening thing.
Of course there were lesbians involved in the movement but I don't know any lesbians who hate men. Somehow not wanting to fuck men or pair with them means they hate them? Of course there were women who did hate men, most of them for very good reason. How much abuse are women supposed to take before it is OK to just want to steer clear of men and why is that always indicating hate? Why does it always come right down to the fucking?
I am heartened by this article. It sounds like there are even a few businesses who understood what they were asking and actually did what they requested. Thank you. Starts my day off with some hope!! 
**one more thing My boys went to a private school for a while, the public school they were to attend took a very lax attitude about learning. At that school it was the same way, boys always got to ask the questions and be answered. By the time my youngest left we were having to fight for the boys, it had totally flipped. My son told me he would have to ask the girl next to him to ask his question. Exactly opposite of my experience way back in the olden days.
some still cling to the mistaken belief that only certain types of women care about objectification, sexualization, etc.
Kinda like the mistaken belief that sexist insults or attitudes are only a problem when it's right wing people guilty of it, or left wing people targeted by it.
