If there’s one thing you count on when you write about feminism and gender issues, it’s that someone on the internet will pop up to say ‘but not all men are bad!!’. And now there is an actual campaign to promote this oh-so-clever observation. The #BlameOneNotAll campaign, created by Indian media company Mintified, asks women to have their pictures taken holding signs thanking their uncles for not being pervy or their cab driver for not touching them up, to highlight the fact that “not all men are rapists.” Instead, what the campaign does is vilify the women speaking out about their experiences of sexism, and patronise the men standing proudly on the side of gender equality.

It’s just another example of “Meninists” trying to silence women because what they have to say has bruised their ego. #BlameOneNotAll is an attempt at concentrating on each individuals’ actions rather than critiquing a social structure that has forced millions of girls and women around the world to be subjected to systematic sexism, sexual violence and abuse. By saying ‘not all’ we’re allowing many to excuse themselves from a situation they claim isn’t their problem.

Of course there are many good men, but do they need to be constantly reminded? We don’t need to hand out certificates to congratulate them; the men in the world who love and respect women don’t do it so they can be commended for simply being a decent human being. The good guys don’t need awarding for making a woman feel comfortable on public transport, or allowing a woman to walk past them without catcalling, or not raping the person they met in a club because she was too drunk to consent.

It’s tiring to have to revisit this situation again, having to defend a woman’s right to speak out about their experiences. I didn’t realise women were required to catch the names of all the men that have sexually assaulted, harassed or raped them, to make sure they are the only ones in the firing line. I didn’t know I was supposed to ring up all my guy friends and say “oh by the way I don’t mean you!” when tweeting about my experiences of sexism.

If the supporters of the #BlameOneNotAll and #NotAllMen campaigns actually focused their time and energy changing the system that props them up, think of the progress that could be made. If these men were really worried about people thinking that they were a rapist, they would be addressing the behaviours of their fellow men, not attacking the brave women retelling their experiences of sexism and abuse.

Feminist Quotes From Leading Men Show all 18 1 /18 Feminist Quotes From Leading Men Feminist Quotes From Leading Men John Legend “All men should be feminists. If men care about women’s rights, the world will be a better place. We are better off when women are empowered — it leads to a better society.” Getty Feminist Quotes From Leading Men Matt McGorry “I'm embarrassed to admit that I only recently discovered the ACTUAL definition of "feminism". The fact that the term is sometimes clouded with anything other than pure support and positivity in our society is very tragic. I believe in gender equality. Being a feminist is for both women AND men. I AM A FEMINIST. In for equality? Pass it on.” Getty Feminist Quotes From Leading Men Hugh Jackman “I'm for gender equality because it should’ve never been any other way!” Getty Feminist Quotes From Leading Men Seth Meyers “When you work with the sort of really strong women that I work with, the idea that anyone would want to make decisions for them is hard to wrap your head around.” Getty Feminist Quotes From Leading Men Ezra Miller “I feel that all revolutionary causes should start with addressing misogyny.” Joseph Gordon-Levitt: “I do call myself a feminist. Absolutely! It’s worth paying attention to the roles that are sort of dictated to us and that we don’t have to fit into those roles. We can be anybody we wanna be.” Getty Feminist Quotes From Leading Men Joss Whedon “[My mother] really was an extraordinary, inspirational, tough, cool, sexy, funny woman. And that’s the kind of woman I’ve always surrounded myself with, my friends and particularly my wife, who is not only smarter than and stronger than I am, but occasionally taller too. I think it also goes back to my father and my stepfather, because they prized wit and resolve in the women they were with above all things and they were among the rare men who understood that recognizing someone else’s power doesn’t diminish your own.” Getty Feminist Quotes From Leading Men Ryan Gosling “I’m attracted to films that have strong female characters because there are strong female characters in my life.” Getty Feminist Quotes From Leading Men Eddie Vedder “I’m usually good about my temper, but all these men trying to control women’s bodies are really beginning to piss me off. They’re talking from a bubble. They’re not talking from the street, and they’re not in touch with what’s real.” Getty Feminist Quotes From Leading Men Mark Ruffalo “My own mother fought to make herself more than a possession; she lived her life as a mother who chose when she would have children, and a wife who could earn a living if she so chose. I want my daughters to enjoy that same choice. I don’t want to turn back the hands of time to when women shuttled across state lines in the thick of night to resolve an unwanted pregnancy, in a cheap hotel room just south of the state line. Where a transaction of $600 cash becomes the worth of a young woman’s life.” Getty Feminist Quotes From Leading Men Prince Harry “We know that when women are empowered, they immeasurably improve the lives of those around them – their families, their communities and their countries.” Getty Feminist Quotes From Leading Men Iggy Pop “I’m not ashamed to dress ‘like a woman’ because I don’t think it’s shameful to be a woman.” Getty Feminist Quotes From Leading Men Daniel Craig “Women are responsible for two-thirds of the work done worldwide, yet earn only 10 percent of the total income and own 1 percent of the property… So, are we equals? Until the answer is yes, we must never stop asking.” Getty Feminist Quotes From Leading Men Jon Hamm "Men ruled the roost and women played a subservient role [in the Sixties]. Working wives were a rarity, because their place was in the home, bringing up the kids. The women who did work were treated as second-class citizens because it was a male-dominated society. That was a fact of life then. But it wouldn't be tolerated today, and that's quite right in my book... people look back on those days through a thick veil of nostalgia, but life was hard if you were anything other than a rich, powerful, white male." Getty Feminist Quotes From Leading Men Dalai Lama “I call myself a feminist. Isn’t that what you call someone who fights for women’s rights?” Getty Feminist Quotes From Leading Men Alan Alda "I think [misogyny] is like a disease that needs to be cured. And if we could eradicate polio, I don't see why we can't eradicate misogyny." Getty Feminist Quotes From Leading Men Andy Samberg "Since there have been men and women, there have been funny women... f***ing idiot-ass men keep saying that women aren't funny. It makes me crazy. I find it disgusting and offensive every time." Getty Feminist Quotes From Leading Men Barack Obama “We stand with women by fighting for economic security, protecting access to health care and supporting women’s leadership across the country.” Getty Feminist Quotes From Leading Men Kurt Cobain “Rape is one of the most terrible crimes on earth and it happens every few minutes. The problem with groups who deal with rape is that they try to educate women about how to defend themselves. What really needs to be done is teaching men not to rape. Go to the source and start there.” Getty

I don’t see all men as rapists and misogynists. However, I do hold all men accountable in helping their female friends, colleagues and family fight to change a frightening system where it’s estimated that 1 in 5 women worldwide will be victims of rape or attempted rape in their lifetime.

(Mintified/Facebook)