Sex Scandals: Why All of the Focus on the Women?

This week, action movie star and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed that he has a 14-year-old lovechild with his former housekeeper.

In even shadier news, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, chief of the International Monetary Fund (a global financial organization), was arrested for sexually assaulting a hotel chambermaid in New York City.

The two scenarios are extremely different—Schwarzenegger had a consensual relationship while Strauss-Kahn allegedly forced himself on someone. One similarity, however, is the media's interest in the identities of the women involved.

The media has scoured Schwarzenegger's former lover Patty Baena's MySpace page, looking for pictures of her with their son. Many news outlets are camped out in front of her Bakersfield, California home.

The New York maid involved in the Strauss-Kahn case has also been followed by the media. Though her name has not been released, the world knows that she lives in the Bronx, and some reports claim that she lives in housing reserved for people with HIV. (Her lawyers say this is a false statement).

"It's unfortunate that women are bearing the brunt of scandals involving a male's behavior," Yana Walton, Vice President of Communications at Women's Media Center, a media organization that works to make women visible and powerful in the media, told us. Walton mentioned that while the public already knows the men involved, they're interested in knowing the women as well.

"We're so obsessed with celebrity and the lives of these men, why they are attracted to certain women. Part of it is the cult of celebrity," Walton said.

It seems that no matter the situation, whether it be a secret love affair or a sexual assault, the world wants to know more about all involved. Thankfully in the States, it's customary not to identify sexual assault victims. Unfortunately, that's not the case in France.

What Can You Do?

• Host a lock-in that promotes positive image among women.
• 1 in 3 young people will be in an abusive relationship. Make bracelets to educate others about this stat.
• Submit your ideas on how to best promote a positive representation of women in the media.