I know that girls complain a lot (that's a given). We complain about having to go through childbirth, or have a monthly visit from Aunt Flo, or we don't get paid as much as men do for doing the same amount of work. And those are all extremely valid things to complain about. Girls go through a lot. And most of the time, we do it, we survive it, and we're stronger for dealing with it. But this article isn't about any of that. While those things that have to do with being a girl do suck (a lot), this article is about something a lot bigger than that.
How come as a girl, you can't walk down the street without a man calling out to you, whistling to you, calling you baby or sweetheart. You can't go somewhere alone without feeling your heart quicken if there's someone following you too closely. As a girl, you can't wear a low-cut shirt or a short dress without being told that you're "asking for it." You're told to carry pepper spray, or a pocket knife; something to protect yourself just in case. You're told to use the buddy system, and never walk alone, or take a cab alone, because if you do, men see you as vulnerable, as a victim, and they might follow you; they might hurt you.
As a girl, you're told not to drink too much, because if you do, you're putting yourself in a situation for a man to take advantage of you (and if they do take advantage of you, it's your fault because you were drinking). As a girl, if a man touches you inappropriately, you're told that boys will be boys, or that it's a compliment because he must think you're attractive (even if that man is double your age; even if that man doesn't know you at all). As a girl, if you're a victim of sexual assault, few people see you as a victim. They question you; ask you what you did to provoke them. "Were you flirting with him?" "Did you kiss him?" "What were you wearing?" "Were you leading him on?" As a girl, it's never the guy's fault. You must have done something to deserve it.
As a girl, you expect something bad to happen to you. You see a threat around every corner, in every guy you see. You're told that you need to be careful. You need to say the right things, do the right things, wear the right things. As a girl, life is harder than getting your period. Life is harder than gossip and girl-fights at school. Life is harder than petty bullsh*t that society thinks we spend hours worrying about. And as a girl, you get sick of always having to explain yourself; you get sick of always having to watch your back when you're alone.
Maybe, just maybe: as a man, you should make it your job to not make a girl scared and uncomfortable. Maybe, as a man, you should respect woman, all women, no matter whether they were drinking, or walking alone, or wearing a short dress. Maybe then the world would be a much better place.
