Being a woman isn’t a walk in the park. In fact, don’t expect to take a walk in the park without being whistled at. And this may be an exaggeration, but hear me out.
This past semester, I have seen far too many heinous acts of social conduct to not say something. I have witnessed far too many of my girlfriends shrink themselves down as men leer and jeer. I have acted as though I didn’t notice what one or the other was saying, picking up my pace to leave their line of sight as quickly as I could, on far too many occasions. Enough is enough.
Public Service Announcement to Men:
My existence as a woman is not for the sole purpose of your enjoyment.
It is not for you to whoop and holler at me as you drive down the road, slowing down when you approach me.
My existence is not a sign for you to stop your whole group of friends as I walk by to say “check that out,” to which your friend responds, “the options, all the options you have.”
It is not for you to waive boxes of condoms in the air, harassing your peers at a convenience store, shouting you’d wear extra-large if they were interested.
The existence of a woman is not for you to feel entitled to- as our President Elect has made so famously made okay- “grab her by the pussy.”
Or to grab her anywhere, without prior consent, for that matter.
These heinous acts of social conduct are sexual harassment. Yes, sexual harassment. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) defines sexual harassment as: “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.”
Any of the following unwanted behavior may constitute sexual harassment:
- leering
- wolf whistles
- sexual innuendo
- inappropriate comments about women’s bodies
- ‘accidentally’ brushing sexual parts of the body
- lewd & threatening text messages
- pressure for dates
- sexually explicit gestures
- unwelcome touching and hugging
- sexual sneak attacks, (e.g., grabbing breasts or buttocks )
- sabotaging women’s work
- demanding, “Hey, baby, give me a smile”
- inappropriate invitations (e.g., hot tub)
- sexist jokes and cartoons
- hostile put-downs of women
- exaggerated, mocking ‘courtesy’
- public humiliation
- obscene phone calls
- insisting that workers wear revealing clothes
- inappropriate gifts (ex. lingerie)
- hooting, sucking, lip-smacking, & animal noises
- pressing or rubbing up against the victim
- sexual assault
- soliciting sexual services
- stalking
- leaning over, invading a person’s space
- indecent exposure
And these are daily occurrences…
Our existence as women is worth far more than you- or we- could ever imagine. And as a human beings, equal in creation and dignity, we expect to be treated nothing less than equal respect.