For decades, women have been fighting for having equal rights as men. Laws have been created, attitudes have changed, and many claim that women are now on an equal level as men. Yet women are still treated as highly unequal within our society. As a female, I have to change my behaviors and actions to feel safe in various environments. I cannot walk around a city by myself at night without having a feeling of heightened anxiety. As I venture off to to college, I will be investing in pepper spray, self defense classes, and other means of protecting myself so I can feel safe. Society tells me that I need to park in well lit areas, walk briskly with no distraction, and carry my keys as a means of defense. Campus crime alerts at a nearby college notify students to walk in groups in light of recent attempted kidnap and abduction cases of women on campus. We as women can never feel safe when we are walking alone when the sky is dark.Society tells women how to stay alert and how to prevent ourselves from becoming victims of an assault. Men can walk home at night without a second thought, while women need to find someone to walk them home or they must provide money for a taxi ride. We as women are also told to be aware of our situations at social events such as parties or clubs. Don’t accept a drink from anyone, it might be drugged. Don’t drink too much, you may become too vulnerable. Don’t wear low cut shirts or short skirts, you might be asking for it. Don’t flirt with whomever you choose, they may get the wrong idea. We as women do not have the freedom to make our own choices without having the fear of being assaulted or judged.
Society judges women for their personal choices, and seems to care all too much about mundane things. Women are told to cover up if they want to have respect for their bodies. Certain clothing is considered inappropriate, even if what is exposed isn’t even blatantly sexual. I can’t wear a tank top or shorter shorts to school because it might be “inappropriate”. I guess that society somehow has managed to sexualize the legs and shoulders of women, yet somehow not men. We are told to respect ourselves, and by doing so, we can dress appropriately and behave appropriately.
I respect myself. I respect myself but sometimes the weather gets hot around June and sometimes I like to stay a comfortable temperature at school by wearing shorts. But my legs are considered inappropriate and I am asked to go put something else on instead. And when this happens I think back to all of the other times I have been treated differently and I think of the future and how I will be treated differently. I think of how I will have to act in certain situations. I think of how I will try to ward off unwanted comments. I think of how I will stay safe when I’m walking alone. I realize that I must know all of these things for one reason. One reason. It’s only because I’m female.