I have seen, countless times, pictures, memes, tweets, and posts stating that if girls dressed a certain way, they wouldn’t be raped. So many times I read people posting things like, “If they didn’t dress like that, they wouldn’t be called that.”
Respectfully, no. Women should not be called derogatory names because of the way they dress or the way they present themselves. Men are given a free ride when it comes to their sexuality; they don’t get criticized on the way they dress or the things they do as much as women.
If men can wear anything they’d like, and sleep with as many women as they desire without social backlash, why are women chastised for doing the same?
This constant problem of sexism has been going on for decades, and women are not portrayed as skillful or strong enough to handle the struggles life hands them. Women are looked at as fragile, sensitive, and brainless. With those stereotypes, we have a hard time establishing ourselves: not only in the workforce, but in society as well.
Women have the constant pressure of being accepted into society based on how they dress, the color of their hair, their ‘body count’, and so much more. The constant pressures associated with being a girl are those continuous with the ancient stereotypes that women are supposed to keep quiet, wear shirts that don’t dip too low, and maintain a proper aesthetic.
Not only is it not a woman’s fault if she gets raped, it is not a woman’s fault that men look at her as a sexual being. Media outlets portray women as all beauty and no brains. TV shows, movies, and video games all give off the impression that women are helpless if it wasn’t for men, and mothers are housewives taking care of the kids while their husbands go to work at the office.
Women are sexualized every day, and it is a growing problem in society today. We need to focus on the fact that women are not “asking” to be looked at inappropriately, and we are not “trying” to look “slutty”. If a woman is dressing to make herself feel good, or putting on makeup to feel pretty, judgment shouldn’t be passed her way. She most definitely does not ask to be used in such a way that hurts her self esteem and destroys her perception of love.
These images of women going out and having fun are results of the way in which we are programmed to see women versus how they should be allowed to live their lives. We peg women as conservative, quiet people that cook and clean. The war against women is alive and well, and it is disrupting the way in which we handle rape cases.
So, no, we don’t ask to be raped and we don’t ask for attention. We dress the way we dress for ourselves. We put makeup on for ourselves. We become successful to benefit ourselves. We’re not looking for inappropriate “compliments” and we aren’t asking to be swept off our feet. Women are trying to prove that men are complimentary to their lives, not necessary. Because many men would say the same.
