Every few years, a case breaks through the noise and shocks the world. Stories linked to powerful figures such as Epstein, or the widely reported case involving Gisèle Pelicot in France, bring global attention to abuse that might otherwise remain hidden. However, feminist scholars argue that these incidents are not isolated tragedies but symptoms of broader social structures that allow violence against women and girls to persist. Headlines explode, public outrage rises, and for a moment it feels like society is finally confronting something deeply wrong. Then the news cycle moves on.
I read Gisèle Pelicot’s book: A hymn to life, over two long evenings. So much struck me in these pages, all of which will stay with me forever. That the evil driven by one man was enabled by so many others who not only stayed silent in this uncomfortable truth but participated. As abhorrent a crime this was, it actually – and thankfully – is not the story. The perpetrator’s volume and power is silenced by the courage and fortitude of one woman.
Because of her the news cycle cannot and must not move on, this is different, it holds us in a new truth. One that firmly redresses the balance of power….FOREVER!
Gender based violence is a persistent, harmful social scar. It includes domestic abuse, sexual assault, coercive control, harassment and other forms of violence. In the United Kingdom, these issues remain widespread and deeply embedded in social inequalities.
According to the Office for National Statistics, millions of adults in England and Wales experience domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking each year. Women make up the majority of victims of domestic‑abuse related crimes recorded by police, and campaign groups consistently highlight that many incidents go unreported. This means official figures likely underestimate the real scale of harm.
Feminist theory provides important tools for understanding why gender‑based violence persists. Rather than viewing violence only as individual behaviour, many feminist scholars examine how social structures and power relations shape these patterns.
Sociologist Sylvia Walby describes patriarchy as a system of social structures through which men collectively dominate and exploit women. In this framework, violence is not simply an individual act but one of the mechanisms that maintains gender inequality. Institutions such as workplaces, media, politics and the legal system can unintentionally reinforce these power imbalances.
Raewyn Connell’s concept of hegemonic masculinity is also widely used in gender studies. This theory suggests that societies often promote a dominant form of masculinity associated with authority, control and emotional toughness. Although most men do not commit violence, these cultural expectations can encourage behaviours linked to dominance and entitlement, which in some cases contribute to gender‑based violence.
Feminist writer Bell Hooks also examined how patriarchy shapes relationships and power. She argued that traditional ideas of masculinity often discourage emotional vulnerability while rewarding control and dominance. Hooks suggested that challenging patriarchal norms is necessary not only to protect women but also to create healthier and more emotionally open forms of masculinity.
Recent high‑profile cases illustrate how gender‑based violence can intersect with power, status and social attitudes. The Epstein case highlighted how wealth and influence can delay accountability and silence victims. Meanwhile, the Pelicot case shocked the public because it involved multiple perpetrators and exposed how some individuals attempted to rationalise participation in abuse. Not one called it out, yet all of them had the power to stop it.
Another growing concern is the role of online spaces. Researchers and journalists have pointed to the rise of online communities sometimes described as the 'manosphere', where misogynistic ideas about gender roles can spread rapidly. These narratives can reinforce harmful stereotypes about women and masculinity, particularly among younger audiences who consume large amounts of digital media.
Addressing gender‑based violence requires structural change as well as legal accountability. Campaigners emphasise the importance of education, cultural change, survivor support services and stronger institutional responses. Feminist scholarship continues to highlight that reducing violence requires challenging misogyny, questioning harmful gender norms and ensuring that survivors are believed and supported.
Ultimately, the most disturbing lesson from these high‑profile cases is not that they are exceptional, but that they reveal patterns that already exist within society. Recognising gender‑based violence as a systemic issue is a crucial step toward preventing it.
I have read and listened to Madame Pelicot’s case. I have not been pulled up to a table, sipping a latte, in her company, as much as I would wish it. I am therefore not qualified to assume how she feels, how she is healing, but I do know what admiration feels like. The courage of this woman has altered this landscape forever. She has been reported as stating in the March 2026 edition of Vogue, “I’ve given myself permission to be happy”. Despite her experience she loves deeply and has indeed found love again. She is restored in the healing of her family, and for them she maintains her name, so it is not his name, but her name, that the name that her children and grandchildren and generations yet to be born can hold their name with pride. Knowing it belongs to someone magnificent.
For generations women have carried the blame for gender-based violence. We still have what we wear examined more deeply than the behaviour of men who choose to perpetrate violence. We still have men using “she smiled at me”, as defence. How a kind comment gets translated into, “she was asking for it”. As a result, we hold the blame for the actions against us, and we hold it for life.
But not any longer. We take your instruction, Madame Pelicot, “shame has to change sides”.
