And the women of the week is... Gigi Hadid
I know that there are people who aren't big fans of her. I admit I didn't really pay much attention to her until this week. I was on Twitter and I saw Gigi Hadid was trending, I was curious so I took a closer look at what people were saying. Quickly I learned that Ms. Hadid was assaulted and physically lifted off of the ground. However, what impressed me was that she was fully capable of taking care of herself. I'm proud to say that I believe that Ms. Hadid did the right thing, she shouldn't have to put up with people invading her personal space, as well as literally lifting her off the ground against her will.
This problem is becoming a bigger problem every day. The fact that we hear about sexual assault and harassment all the time is horrifying. Women shouldn't have to worry about being harassed or being followed down the street. And while I'm at it, young girls shouldn't be sent home for the ridiculous dress code violation, like her shoulders showing. Not to be crude, but I don't think that someone's shoulder is going to get a guy excited.
It's becoming an epidemic, and I am not trying to downplay any other issues going on, but this is a matter that is very important to me. I believe that instead of every girl being taught to cover up and not to do anything that might provoke a male, maybe we do more to make men aware of the situation. I know that it might sound like I'm stereotyping all men, however for every good man who's out there, there is an equally creepy guy. For once, instead of asking a woman what she wore, if she was drinking, or if she did anything that the guy may have taken as a "yes," ask the man if he was at fault. Victim-blaming is becoming an epidemic and it's a terrifying thought.
I don't want to walk down the street and constantly have to look over my shoulder or constantly be nervous about walking by myself. I don't want young girls to have their self-expression and personal rights to be limited. We need to make a change and we need to start making a change now. If you want to make a difference look into Her Movement. It's a social media campaign that brings awareness to sexual assault and harassment.
