Summary: “The Bonobo Sisterhood”

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Diane Rosenfeld, director of the Gender Violence Program at Harvard Law School, talked with us about her book “The Bonobo Sisterhood: Revolution Through Female Alliance” as part of the Values & Vision discussion series of Changemakers Alliance.

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Changemakers Alliance, an action-oriented spinoff of Minnesota Women’s Press, hosted a virtual discussion about the book on January 5, 2023.

• Summary from author Diane Rosenfeld
• Book excerpts
• Her op-ed, “When we treat domestic violence like a private affair, we are culpable in perpetuating it”
• Newsletter #1: Notable quotes
• Summary of the January discussion

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From a 1994 Chicago Tribune editorial from Diane Rosenfeld:

“Batterers selectively lose control when they get home because something tells them that violence behind the walls of the home is shielded from the eyes of the law. … When she leaves or attempts to leave, the abuser’s actions become more violent, as the need to control her becomes more desperate … If police and the courts understood the danger and difficulty separation presents to a victim, resources could be focused on safely separating the parties. Intervention at this critical juncture could make the difference between life and death …. [such as] detaining the batterer in prison for several hours to teach him that his behavior is criminal and unacceptable, and putting the victim in touch with advocacy services to give her the strength and self-esteem needed to proceed through the criminal justice system.”

Often, she considers herself to be a victim only to the extent that society considers him to be a criminal.

On March 25, we discussed the Bonobo Sisterhood Alliance and other solutions at an in-person and streaming event, held at First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

Related series: Reducing gender-based violence

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Thanks to Tanya Korpi, Northern Minnesota Valvoline franchise owner, for underwriting the Values & Vision series

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