---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Calling gender violence a women's issue…"
description: "\"Calling gender violence a women's issue is part of the problem. It gives a lot of men an excuse not to pay attention.\" — Jackson Katz"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ca/jackson-katz-17227_attention_calling-gender-violence-a-women-s-issue_3098468.jpg"
---

#  Calling gender violence a women's issue is part of the…

![“Calling gender violence a women's issue is part of the problem. It gives a lot of men an excuse not to pay attention.” quote by Jackson Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ca/jackson-katz-17227_attention_calling-gender-violence-a-women-s-issue_3098468.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ca/jackson-katz-17227_attention_calling-gender-violence-a-women-s-issue_3098468.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ca/jackson-katz-17227_attention_calling-gender-violence-a-women-s-issue_3098468.jpg)

> “Calling gender violence a women's issue is part of the problem. It gives a lot of men an excuse not to pay attention.”

[Jackson Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-katz/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Framing gender violence as only a women's issue excuses men from responsibility and perpetuates the problem.

**In simple terms:** Blaming women lets men ignore the issue.

Key Takeaway

Hold everyone accountable for ending violence.

Themes

gender equality responsibility social change

Mood

concerned determined

Type

activist educational

When to use this quote

- education programs
- policy advocacy
- community workshops
- media campaigns

Key Concepts

feminism masculinity accountability

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we shift the narrative to include men?
- What actions can men take to support change?

A Different Perspective

Men may resist acknowledging their role, limiting impact.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Calling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calling/) [Calling Gender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calling-gender-5359837/) [Excuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excuse/) [Gender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gender/) [Gender Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gender-violence-2900145/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay/) [Pay attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay-attention/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence/) [Violence Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence-women/) [Women Issue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women-issue-321908/)

## Related quotes

> [I honestly never understood how violence against women became a women's issue. 95 percent of the violence men are doing to women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-ensler/i-honestly-never-understood-how-violence-against-women-became-a-women/)

[Eve Ensler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-ensler/)

> [Sexual, racial, gender violence and other forms of discrimination and violence in a culture cannot be eliminated without changing culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bunch/sexual-racial-gender-violence-and-other-forms-of-discrimination-and/)

[Charlotte Bunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bunch/)

> [The amount of gender violence that I experience is absolutely extraordinary. And a significant part of my day today will be spent filing police…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-judd/the-amount-of-gender-violence-that-i-experience-is-absolutely/)

[Ashley Judd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-judd/)

> [Most male victims of violence are the victims of other men's violence. So that's something that both women and men have in common. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-katz/most-male-victims-of-violence-are-the-victims-of-other-men-s-violence/)

[Jackson Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-katz/)

> [It's a bad thing that happens to women, but when you look at that term 'violence against women,' nobody is doing it to them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-katz/it-s-a-bad-thing-that-happens-to-women-but-when-you-look-at-that-term/)

[Jackson Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-katz/)

> [When people were very concerned about the violence against women, I encouraged people to stick with it because it was going somewhere and there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-rachel-wood/when-people-were-very-concerned-about-the-violence-against-women-i/)

[Evan Rachel Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-rachel-wood/)

> [I think the fact that our economy has changed dramatically over the last 20 years. It's a new economy that has really left some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-finn/i-think-the-fact-that-our-economy-has-changed-dramatically-over-the/)

[Mindy Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-finn/)

> [Reproductive rights are not just a women's issue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-goldwyn/reproductive-rights-are-not-just-a-women-s-issue/)

[Tony Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-goldwyn/)

> [The issue of women in the workplace is not a women's issue: it's an economic problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-ghosn/the-issue-of-women-in-the-workplace-is-not-a-women-s-issue-it-s-an/)

[Caroline Ghosn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-ghosn/)

> [Population control is not an issue involving contraceptives for third world women. It is an issue of ecological justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vandana-shiva/population-control-is-not-an-issue-involving-contraceptives-for-third/)

[Vandana Shiva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vandana-shiva/)

> [We simply can no longer afford to deny the full potential of one half of the population. The world needs to tap into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-bachelet/we-simply-can-no-longer-afford-to-deny-the-full-potential-of-one-half/)

[Michelle Bachelet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-bachelet/)

> [It’s not a nice-to-have—it’s a must-have. It’s time we stop treating child care as a side issue, or a women’s issue, and treat it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-not-a-nice-to-have-it-s-a-must-have-it-s-time-we-stop-treating/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [When we think about Islamic feminism, it is not just about women's rights. It's about a more progressive and tolerant expression of Islam in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asra-nomani/when-we-think-about-islamic-feminism-it-is-not-just-about-women-s/)

[Asra Nomani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asra-nomani/)

> [There is no issue that is not a women's issue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bunch/there-is-no-issue-that-is-not-a-women-s-issue/)

[Charlotte Bunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bunch/)

> [Sexual assault not a women's issue, this is a peace and security issue. And we have to make sure that we go after the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-wallstrom/sexual-assault-not-a-women-s-issue-this-is-a-peace-and-security-issue/)

[Margot Wallstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-wallstrom/)

## More by Jackson Katz

> [Most male victims of violence are the victims of other men's violence. So that's something that both women and men have in common. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-katz/most-male-victims-of-violence-are-the-victims-of-other-men-s-violence/)

[Jackson Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-katz/)

> [The major political battles about guns in our society concern handguns and assault weapons, not long arms like hunting rifles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-katz/the-major-political-battles-about-guns-in-our-society-concern/)

[Jackson Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-katz/)

> [Elite athletes learn entitlement. They believe they are entitled to have women serve their needs. It's part of being a man. It's the cultural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-katz/elite-athletes-learn-entitlement-they-believe-they-are-entitled-to/)

[Jackson Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-katz/)

> [Men are every bit as gendered as women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-katz/men-are-every-bit-as-gendered-as-women/)

[Jackson Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-katz/)

> [Media play a powerful role in establishing and perpetuating social norms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-katz/media-play-a-powerful-role-in-establishing-and-perpetuating-social/)

[Jackson Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-katz/)

> [How many more school shootings do we need before we start talking about this as a social problem, and not merely a random collection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-katz/how-many-more-school-shootings-do-we-need-before-we-start-talking/)

[Jackson Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-katz/)

> [The best thing I can say is professional football is a business. When they are recruiting football players, they are not recruiting model citizens.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-katz/the-best-thing-i-can-say-is-professional-football-is-a-business-when/)

[Jackson Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-katz/)

> [Most people aren't familiar enough with what actually goes on in professional wrestling to know just how badly women are treated in WWE narratives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-katz/most-people-aren-t-familiar-enough-with-what-actually-goes-on-in/)

[Jackson Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-katz/)

> [Whether one admired or was repulsed by the positions he took on matters foreign and domestic, it is undeniable that Reagan's ability to project…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-katz/whether-one-admired-or-was-repulsed-by-the-positions-he-took-on/)

[Jackson Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-katz/)

> [The concept of power we admire is power over someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-katz/the-concept-of-power-we-admire-is-power-over-someone-else/)

[Jackson Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-katz/)

> [Language usage always has a political context.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-katz/language-usage-always-has-a-political-context/)

[Jackson Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-katz/)

> [If journalism is the first draft of history, then talk radio provides an early glimpse into how the meaning of political events will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-katz/if-journalism-is-the-first-draft-of-history-then-talk-radio-provides/)

[Jackson Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-katz/)

> [Advocates of 'free speech' often repeat the mantra that the best response to bad speech is more and better speech, not the suppression of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-katz/advocates-of-free-speech-often-repeat-the-mantra-that-the-best/)

[Jackson Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-katz/)

> [During his runs for the GOP presidential nomination, Mitt Romney has done a good job of mimicking Reagan's anti-government diatribes and 'better days ahead'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-katz/during-his-runs-for-the-gop-presidential-nomination-mitt-romney-has/)

[Jackson Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-katz/)

> [If the KKK was smart enough, they would've created gangsta rap because it's such a caricature of black culture and black masculinity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-katz/if-the-kkk-was-smart-enough-they-would-ve-created-gangsta-rap-because/)

[Jackson Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-katz/)

[Explore all 37 Jackson Katz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-katz/)

## More Attention quotes

> [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/)

[David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/)

> [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/)

[Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/)

> [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/)

[Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/)

> [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [What people don't normally know about us is the hustle is very real, and it's sorely driven a lot by how we consider ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lzzy-hale/what-people-don-t-normally-know-about-us-is-the-hustle-is-very-real/)

[Lzzy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lzzy-hale/)

> [For me, the term "psychotherapy" is limiting. It implies that we work with mind and emotions, but excludes the body and pays scant attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/for-me-the-term-psychotherapy-is-limiting-it-implies-that-we-work/)

[Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/)

> [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/)

[Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/)

> [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/)

[Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/)

> [ I went to a mosque in Philadelphia with \[my wife\] in December 24, 1999. And we we went to this mosque in Philly, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/i-went-to-a-mosque-in-philadelphia-with-my-wife-in-december-24-1999/)

[Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/)

> [The Harvard Business Review recently had an article called 'The Human Moment,' about how to make real contact with a person at work: ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-harvard-business-review-recently-had-an-article-called-the-human/)

[Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/)

> [Let us thank God heartily as often as we pray that we have His Spirit in us to teach us to pray. Thanksgiving will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/let-us-thank-god-heartily-as-often-as-we-pray-that-we-have-his-spirit/)

[Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/)

> [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [We must have a welfare system that we can afford, which will mean giving greater attention to directing the welfare program toward its primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/we-must-have-a-welfare-system-that-we-can-afford-which-will-mean/)

[Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/)

> [The director's job should give you a sense of music without drawing attention to itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hackford/the-director-s-job-should-give-you-a-sense-of-music-without-drawing/)

[Taylor Hackford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hackford/)

[Browse all 10,153 Attention quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Calling gender violence a women's issue is part of the problem. It gives a lot of men an excuse not to pay attention.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jackson Katz"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-katz/calling-gender-violence-a-women-s-issue-is-part-of-the-problem-it/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Attention"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-katz/calling-gender-violence-a-women-s-issue-is-part-of-the-problem-it/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ca/jackson-katz-17227_attention_calling-gender-violence-a-women-s-issue_3098468.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ca/jackson-katz-17227_attention_calling-gender-violence-a-women-s-issue_3098468.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ca/jackson-katz-17227_attention_calling-gender-violence-a-women-s-issue_3098468.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Calling gender violence a women's issue is part of the problem. It gives a lot of men an excuse not to pay…” — Jackson Katz",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Jackson Katz",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-katz/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Calling gender violence a women's issue...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-katz/calling-gender-violence-a-women-s-issue-is-part-of-the-problem-it/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-katz/calling-gender-violence-a-women-s-issue-is-part-of-the-problem-it/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
