As a teenage girl in college, it is absolutely horrifying to experience street harassment, especially when I am walking somewhere alone. What’s really sickening is that I cannot even count the number of times I have had random men come up to me on the sidewalk and mention something sexually inappropriate about my body or my appearance. You would expect that I would be used to this since it has happened to me way too many times. However, it still unsettles me any time it occurs, and I can’t help but think, did you really just say that to me? Why do men do this?
What frustrates me even more is that when I turn to someone for help, they seem to avoid the topic by blaming me for it:
“Well, maybe you shouldn’t be wearing that.”
“What were you thinking? You shouldn’t walk alone. It’s your fault.”
“It’s not that big of a deal.”
“Just ignore it.”
“Take it as a compliment.”
“You should be flattered.”
How can I ignore this harassment when it happens to me every time I leave my house? How am I supposed to listen to a vile person speak to me of my body with such little respect? The answer is simple: I shouldn’t. I should not be afraid to walk alone to my car at night. I should not wince at the sound of footsteps behind me. I shouldn’t have to bring a friend with me everywhere I go for protection. I shouldn’t feel the need to cover up my body, rather than wearing a skirt, when going out. And I most certainly should not have to deal with the harassment, the audacity and the disrespect I receive from men like this.
I don’t know how to explain the feelings of terror, anger and disgust that overwhelm me when a man slips his hand too far down my back, or when a stranger says something blatant about my boobs, butt or legs to me. I don’t understand how someone could do such a terrible thing, but what I do know is that this HAS to stop; something needs to be done.
I hope that by reading this, you feel as uncomfortable as I felt having experienced it. The topic of harassment, assault and rape has to stop being avoided because it is a real problem that millions of women face; we need to start speaking up and having more open conversations about it. We need to be viewed as more than just our bodies. We are not objects; we are people with feelings and emotions. We must be heard and respected.
Change starts now, and it starts with us.