From a young age, girls are judged by what we wear whether it be hair, makeup, or clothes. We have so much pressure put on us to look our best and not be nothing shy of perfect all while being judged on the size and style of what we wear. Starting in middle school, girls are treated like objects and are told that anything other than a hoodie and jeans is distracting to their male peers and teachers. Our education is put on hold for assemblies and outfit changes while our male counterparts are told that "boys will be boys". Well, it's time for those 'boys' to man up and learn to keep their eyes on their work and their thoughts to themselves.
I'm not sure how it is even remotely acceptable to tell a teenage girl that she must put jeans or sweatpants on, on a blistering hot day because her shorts are distracting to the males around her but those males are not told not to look at her sexually in the first place. Instead of teaching girls that they are nothing but objects for men to gawk at and make lewd comments about, we need to start teaching boys that it is unacceptable to see girls as anything but their equals and to not be distracted by their outfits.
I have, on multiple occasions, heard comments made about female students bodies by male staff and when the problem was brought to the attention of administrators or other staff, was laughed off and made into a joke. Allowing male staff to talk about teenage girls bodies as though they were put in the school to fulfill their disgusting sexual desires to male students is not only extremely inappropriate but is also encouraging rape culture. Any complaint made by about lewd comments being directed toward a female student should be taken seriously and met with consequences. Our safety and education matter just as much as our male counterparts.
If my shoulders showing is distracting to any male in my school then I'm pretty sure we have more problems than my outfit. Maybe instead of teaching girls to cover up, we should teach boys that a strapless shirt is not an invitation to stare. My body is my body and I don't deserve to be gawked at like a circus act. Treat me with the same respect you treat your mother and sister with.
Long rant short, treat girls like human beings. Do not tell us we are distractions and do not yank us out of class to change. My strapless shirt shouldn't start a riot, my friend's midriff is shouldn't make you uncomfortable. Teach boys to be men and stop encouraging the objectification of women.
