TW: Sexual Assault, Stalking, Domestic Violence, Murder
This article was written on 10/21/21. Information in this article may now be outdated.
It’s time to have an overdue conversation. We women are angry, scared and exhausted at the complete disregard for our safety and well-being. Now it’s no secret that historically, women have had it rough. We’ve always had to put up a fight against society’s misogynistic ideologies just to get the human rights we deserve. However, centuries have passed and as we are approaching 2022, we’re still caught in a constant battle for our rights, and terrifyingly, our lives. These archaic beliefs held by unaffected populations get turned into laws that, at this point, feel like an attack on women. This is embarrassingly unacceptable and it’s time we do better
From a young age, women’s actions are delegated for their “safety” and “reputation.” We’re told to watch what we wear and who we wear it around; we get told it’s unsafe to travel anywhere alone; we get our abortion rights ripped away for us and then get told that we women have to face the consequences of having sex — even though it takes two to tango. As a society, toxic masculinity is celebrated quickly defended from any arguments. Trans women are outcasted, and unfortunately, being killed, and sadly, a large part of our society still sees no reason for urgent change. We keep our daughters closed off and protected while throwing our sons out into the world. Why does it have to be like this? Why do we still have to fight for any real change in the way women are being treated?
What makes my blood boil is that women don’t even have safe spaces. The recent tragic cases of Gabby Petito and Miya Marcano highlight how women are robbed of their safety and security in situations that were supposed to keep them safe. We have Gabby Petito, where her disappearance and death brought to light the abuse she endured from her fiancé — who, for the record, has yet to be directly charged with her disappearance and murder. Or the case of Miya Marcano, a young girl who expressed concerns for her safety, only to be ignored. Her rejection of a man who allegedly has a history of not being able to take no for an answer led to her tragic death. Unfortunately, these types of cases aren’t rare occurrences.
According to the CDC, 1 in 4 women experience physical violence by their intimate partner at some point in their lives. About 1 in 3 women experience some form of sexual violence during their lifetimes. 1 in 6 women experience stalking during their lifetimes, the majority being stalked by someone they know. At least 5 million acts of domestic violence occur annually to women aged 18 years and older1. Activities that are supposed to be safe for women are turned into our worst nightmare because as a society we focus on lecturing women on why their actions lead to consequences instead of teaching men the correct way to behave towards women.
It’s 2022, women are not objects that society can just treat as they please. We’re tired, we’re scared and, most of all, we’re angry. I think I can speak for a large part of the female population that we are overdue in some legislature that focuses on our rights and protection, instead of creating legislature that reverses any bit of progress that we have made over decades. Let’s start off by acknowledging this conversation, let’s emphasize teaching what consent means, we need to teach healthy rejection methods and punish those who cross boundaries. Most importantly, we need to create laws that prevent tragedies like the ones of Miya Marcano or Gabby Petito. It’s time we start taking women seriously instead of making a mockery of them. Let’s do better.
