Elizabeth Banks and Sigourney Weaver take a stand for reproductive rights
From an award-winning actress to an outspoken woman in Hollywood, Julianna Margulies has made a name for herself for her willingness to speak truth to power. But Margulies took it a step further in a video in which she urged women to use their body as a weapon against men in order to reclaim their health.
It was not the first time Margulies spoke out about violence against women and she has been a vocal supporter of Planned Parenthood. But now the actress is speaking out even stronger in favor of women’s reproductive rights.
In an interview with The Daily Beast, Margulies said the issue of violence against women is not just an assault on women’s bodies. The violence is at the same time deeply rooted in the patriarchy that believes women’s bodies are dirty and should not be given access to medical care.
“It’s not all women who are harmed by violence, but, like sex trafficking is primarily a women’s issue,” she said, citing statistics in which 80 percent of sex trafficking victims are women of color, and the majority of perpetrators are men.
Margulies’ advice to women who wish to stand up to violence against women is simple: stop being victims, and start being the ones who stand up to violence. The first step, she says, should be to get legal help on an assault or rape charge. Once women are served their papers, she advises them to leave the courtroom and confront their attacker. Margulies then advises women to move on with their lives and never to let their assault affect their relationships, with or without a legal charge.
“I think the best thing is for women to move on. You’re not a victim anymore,” she said.
In an interview with CNN.com last year, Margulies said that she is glad she has a platform to speak out about violence against women because she wants women to learn to speak up against patriarchy, something that men
