Dear Reader,
Recently, I found myself very upset. I was leaving campus, walking to my car and, while crossing the street, this car passed by me and the two men who were inside yelled at me that I was, in their words, a ´´mami bien dura´´. It took all my strength not to throw my book bag at them. Now, I want to clarify that I was not pissed that they catcalled me in the middle of the street, leaving a place where I should feel safe of harassment because I got to college to study and get ahead in life, not model or feel like any step I take can be seen as a provocative movement. I was pissed because if they can’t respect a girl, who is obviously a student- who seems much younger than they are- who says they won’t do it to every other girl they see? A younger one? I was pissed because no one should walk down the street feeling like they are wearing nothing but their underwear. I was pissed because they don’t even realize they are harassing us; they think they are complimenting us. I was pissed because I shouldn’t be allowed to fear leaving my house in anything less than five inches over my chest (because any lower and I could be seen as provocative and vulgar). It doesn’t matter that all I’m really doing is wearing a shirt I love because it’s comfortable and I find it cute. Because God forbid I wear anything that makes a guy feel like he can’t control his own penis.
The worst part is: this wasn’t the first time I was catcalled and it won’t be the last. The worst part is I know I am not the only woman to ever have to go through this. The worst part is knowing my nieces will go through the same thing because we have been taught that girls have to cover up because men just can’t control their impulses.
I don’t write this as a way of ranting away because I was offended by a catcaller on the street. I am writing this because, as many times as it has been said, we need to keep on repeating the fact that we have to begin teaching kids that guys CAN control themselves and girls do NOT have to conform to wearing that ugly sweater just so guys can be free of distractions.
Take the recent scandals in the United States on dress code regulations. How many news have we heard about girls being sent home for wearing yoga pants or sleeveless shirts? Missing exams, classes, notes, and school activities because, apparently, a girl’s dress is more important than her education. Apparently, it is fine that boys wear shirts with naked women on them, but seeing an inch of a thigh can send them into overdrive?
This needs to stop and the actions begin with us. The responsibility falls on all our heads to teach girls that they deserve to feel safe in anything they wear and guys that they need to respect that fact. We all deserve to be harassment free and we need to do it for ourselves and for the next generations because no one deserves to fear walking down the street.