When a man with power becomes a hunter of women.

A guest blog by Marlene.
A re-post from the original article (28/10/12) on her blog: ‘Brussels is Love’.
Click here for the Dutch or French version.
Marlene, a freelance teacher, translator and writer, finds Brussels to be a fascinating place to call ‘home’. With her blog, she first started exploring “the local phenomenon called ‘indifference’, and reflecting on what it would take to get us out of this lethargy”…
- – - -

Not long ago, I got contacted by a man whom one can consider a public figure, and who therefore has a certain degree of power and influence.

As I had just posted another article about homeless people I was quite happy with the unexpected attention. This man just had to be a good person!

However, I quickly noticed that he barely had gotten into my projects or writings. In fact, he knew nothing about them. And he insisted: “I would really like to meet you.” When I asked him for the reason why, I never got a clear answer – only some vague declarations about my commitment and my pretty profile pic.

Nevertheless, my curiosity had been piqued. There had to be a good reason. So I agreed to go for coffee. It was pleasant, but there was always this little voice mumbling something about hidden agendas. And did he have one! Married, of course. And very reckless: soon my inbox would be full of messages, even though I had sent one in an early stage, stating I had no interest in being a ‘piece on the side’ or a distraction.

And yet, things did go out of hand, and the lack of respect became obvious. The messages got more and more pushy and focused on the presumed contents of his pants. I cut off all contacts. There is something tragical about middle aged men who blindly hunt after women; it’s like the announcement of a life long failure. Despite the apparent signs of worldly success (fame, money, family…), their acts show a total lack of depth or even sense.

So yes, he was looking for an accomplice, he said. A nice way of saying ‘an extra-marital relationship and dumpster for all your domestically forbidden fantasies’. Be careful with people who look for accomplices, as they can do you harm, especially when they have power and plan on using it. They know that women still have a socially weaker position, they (theoretically) know that single moms always struggle to make ends meet. They also know that we too would love some recognition just like they seem to have, with their powerful positions in business, politics, religion, medicine, employment. And they don’t care to know that above all we just want to be loved. They will not even try to get to know us a bit! And their power, so they think, make them irresistible in our Bambi eyes.

Do we keep being fooled? Us, women who strive to exist and be respected above and despite the guy’s politically correct feminist babble that barely hides a deeply rooted machismo? Do we chose not to see that all they want is to bring us down, on the floor, us independent, complex, spiritual, intelligent and therefore beautiful women? Face it: all they keep seeing is a nice piece of meat.

Come on! I have been there, a long time ago, while in a weak position as I was asking for help. I have been through real abuse in the framework of religion (“You are my little secret. And if you don’t agree, I will excommunicate you!”). It still makes me sick to think of it, years after the facts. And yet, I thought that one day I’d laugh about it. Truth is that even if the woman in a vulnerable position may seem to agree on being abused, it remains abuse. Ask her if she would have done it had he not been her boss (or any other man who might have an influence on her destiny), and she will say “No!”. This means there is no ‘free consent’. Instead, what we have here is an insidious form of rape, as it touches her in the heart of what makes her vulnerable: professional or other precarity, spiritual quest, health problems…

Today I am fine, well armed and surrounded, and what I would like here is to warn those women who do not immediately detect the machinery of the hunter-abuser, the man who will not hesitate to use his power and pretty words to turn her into a wanking tool, a good lay in between two meetings. Face it: this predator does not have an ounce of respect for the woman she really is.

Recently, the media lifted the taboo on street harassment in Brussels and we have read the shared stories on Hollaback! Brussels. Great work. Now let’s talk about the white-collar harasser, the man with the nice office and the good manners. He is harder to recognize, but it is all the more necessary to learn to do so – in an early stage.

For you, women who have been abused by your shrink, doctor, professor, guru, politician, rabbi, employer, landlord, imam or husband: get out of there. Love yourself above all. Let them wander without you. Even if in a weak moment you may hesitate, do realize there is nothing to win. They are the ones who are lost, and all they want to do is suck you up in their confusion, because it is with your energy that they feed themselves. They are so far from the real sense of their life, drugged out by the adrenaline of chasing women. All they really want is to run away from the emptiness that is inside of them and leave you with it for a while. Do not go there. We are no easy prey.

Say ‘NO’.

Marlene.

If you are a victim of abuse: speak to a trustworthy person or your doctor. Do not stay alone.
You are not the one who should be ashamed.

5 Responses

Author comments are in a darker gray color for you to easily identify the posts author in the comments

1. Marlene says:

   February 6, 2013 at 09:25

   Thank you for publishing! ;-)
   The original article is from 28 October 2012 (not February).

   Nederlandse versie hier: http://brusselsislove.wordpress.com/2013/02/01/man-met-macht-man-op-vrouwenjacht/

   Reply
2. hollaback! brussels says:

   February 6, 2013 at 20:10

   ok thank you for this Marlene! We changed the date…

   Actually we already posted the NL & FR text on the NL & FR part of the site:

   http://brussels.ihollaback.org/fr/2013/02/04/quand-lhomme-au-pouvoir-devient-chasseur-de-femmes/

   http://brussels.ihollaback.org/nl/2013/02/04/met-man-en-macht-op-vrouwenjacht/

   Happy greetz,
   Your Hollaback!Brussels Team

   Reply
3. When a man with power becomes a hunter of women | Brusselsislove's Blog says:

   February 7, 2013 at 10:00

   [...] Article published on Hollaback Brussels [...]

   Reply
4. Hollaback, Behind the Scenes N#2 | Hollaback! Brussels says:

   February 22, 2013 at 02:45

   [...] and regular Guest Bloggers to the site. Two guest blogs are already up there, 1 by Garance and 1 by Marlene. And soon we will be posting regular guest blogs by Emilie Van Limbergen. We’re also hopeful [...]

   Reply
5. Hollaback, Les Coulisses N°2 | Hollaback! Brussels says:

   March 7, 2013 at 23:41

   [...] and regular Guest Bloggers to the site. Two guest blogs are already up there, 1 by Garance and 1 by Marlene. And soon we will be posting regular guest blogs by Emilie Van Limbergen. We’re also hopeful [...]

   Reply