Why Saying ‘Not All Men’ Is Not Helping Anyone: The Illustrated Guide by Lily O’Farrell and Kristina Maione

Immortalizing the words of Kristina Maione, the comic draws a comparison between saying ‘Not all men’ and ‘Not all ticks’. Indeed, we know that not all ticks are lyme disease carriers, but we know that enough of them are that we need to protect ourselves.

When you say ‘Not all men’ you invalidate and silence people who speak out on gender inequality, sexism and sexual abuse. It steers the conversation in another direction, where men are ‘attacked’ and are the ‘victims’. It shifts the focus away from the problem and prevents us from tackling the issue.

One woman in three will face sexual harassment and aggression by men in her life time. If you are more upset because people hurt your ego by saying that men are violent than because of the violence women have to face, maybe you need to change your priorities. If you care so much about ‘Not all men’, make a real difference: do not say it. Act on it. Check your friends. Do not protect the rapists you know. Speak up.

Read Kristina and Lily’s comic just below!

Photo credits: Lily O'Farrell