Believe women

High school (ages 12+)
Philosophy & Big Questions

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/believe-women

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the philosophical basis?Rooted in epistemic justice, challenging prejudicial disbelief of women's testimonies
2. What is the catalyst movement?The #MeToo movement, which amplified women's collective experiences of sexual misconduct
3. What does the phrase "Believe women" mean?It means to listen to what women say and trust them, especially when they talk about difficult things like being hurt or treated unfairly.
4. Why is it important to believe women?Because if people doubt what women say, the real problems they face might stay hidden and the people who hurt others can keep doing it. Believing helps stop that.

Epistemic Justice: Fairness in the ways people are recognized and respected as knowers and testifiers.
Hermeneutical Gap: A deficit in shared interpretive resources, making it difficult to understand certain experiences.
Patriarchal Structures: Social systems where men hold primary power and predominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege, and control of property.
Due Process: Fair treatment through the normal judicial system, especially as a citizen's entitlement.