Hardline feminist Clementine Ford blasts TV presenter for claiming that 'not all men' are to blame for the spate of horrific murders in Melbourne - and points out the 'three things he got wrong'
- Clementine Ford criticised Joe Hildebrand for his comments after murder
- Homeless woman Courtney Herron's body was found dumped in Melbourne park
- Hildebrand said 'not all men' were to blame for violence against women
- Ms Ford said Hildebrand's comments were 'wrong' and corrected him in column
Feminist writer Clementine Ford has slammed television presenter Joe Hildebrand for claiming 'not all men' are to blame for violence against women.
Ms Ford criticised Hildebrand for his remarks in the wake of the murder of 25-year-old homeless woman Courtney Herron in Melbourne. She was the fourth woman in less than a year to be found dead in a public place in the city.
Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius said violence against women was 'absolutely men's behaviour', a comment Hildebrand said was 'nonsensical'.
'We know violence against women is a problem. I don't see how me reflecting on myself is going to stop women being bashed or murdered,' he said.
Ms Ford wrote a column highlighting 'three things that Hildebrand gets wrong'.
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Feminist writer Clemetine Ford (pictured) has slammed television presenter Joe Hildebrand for claiming 'not all men' are to blame for violence against women
Separating men into a 'good' and 'bad' binary was a 'frustrating obstacle to changing public attitudes about gender inequality and violence', Ms Ford wrote in her column for 10 Daily.
'In fact, the vast majority of men are neither good nor bad, but neutral. They don’t intervene when their friends say or do something sexist. They don’t challenge gender inequality in their workplaces,' she wrote.
'They participate in victim-blaming narratives about women’s behaviour... these things might not be the same as a violent murder. But they are part of the continuum of disrespect, sexism and physical violence that women are subjected to by good men all the time.'
Ms Ford said Hildebrand's claim that police press conferences or awareness advertising campaigns were ineffective was also false.
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'Shifting the narrative away from women’s behaviour and on to that of men isn’t about blaming all men for the actions of a few. It’s about recognising that the actions of a few stem from the culture of a gender-unequal world in which men are overwhelmingly the beneficiaries,' she wrote.
Hildebrand said rates of domestic violence were 'comparatively low' in affluent locations but 'skyrocketed' in poorer areas.
Ms Ford said this was 'one of the most harmful furphies' about violence against women, and argued that poor men were not more likely to attack women.
Hildebrand (pictured) said rates of domestic violence were 'comparatively low' in affluent locations but 'skyrocketed' in poorer areas
'The shape of family violence is also likely to be different, with financial and emotional abuse far more likely. The wealthy areas Hildebrand dismisses as not really dealing with these issues might be filled with women who realistically understand that their rich husbands have the means and the connections to take custody of their children and/or to leave them destitute,' she wrote.
Hildebrand was also criticised for his comments on Twitter, and posted a response to the backlash on Monday.
'Just wanted to say a massive thank you to the very decent men and especially women who have stood up for me and common sense over the past couple of days,' he posted.
'I'm sorry for any abuse you have copped as a result. Thankfully - as we know - such abusers are just a vile minority.'
An image of Melbourne woman Courtney Herron. The photograph was released by her father John, who has described her death as an unimaginable tragedy
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