I love Halloween just like the next person. Free candy, haunted houses, decorations and then there are the costumes. Oh yes the costumes. Halloween is the one day where you can dress up and be whoever you want: a pirate, an army person, and even a pig. Or maybe I should properly say that men can dress-up and be whatever they want. Women are held under the constraints that whatever their costumes portrays must be “sexy”: a sexy pirate, a sexy army women, and a sexy pig. It is almost as if society expects us to wear as little clothing as possible on the one night where we are allowed to “dress-up”.
Not only is it a problem that these costume choices are sending out the message that women aren’t sexy unless they are “wearing” revealing clothes. It is also really offensive. There are plenty of women in the army that fight for our country everyday! Yet people think a great halloween costume is to have the “sexy army women”. The skirt is way too short, she barely has a shirt on and is wearing flats of some kind. On the other hand the men’s army costume consists of army pants, big army boot, army jacket, and utility belt with a fake gun. Not only are these costumes completely unequal but it is as if we are making fun of women in the army when they are putting their life on the line everyday to keep us safe.
Two years ago Emma Watson, now a U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador, launched her “HeForShe” program, in an attempt have more males as “advocates for ending the inequalities women and girls face globally.” I believe this is a step in the right direction, because as of now it has seemed that feminism is only a women problem. But feminism is a problem for the whole entire world. Until women can function equally in society, society will never truly function properly.
In her speech at the U.N. headquarters in talking about feminism Watson said, “why is the word such an uncomfortable one? I am from Britain and think it is right that as a woman I am paid the same as my male counterparts. I think it is right that I should be able to make decisions about my own body. I think it is right that women be involved on my behalf in the policies and decision-making of my country. I think it is right that socially I am afforded the same respect as men. But sadly I can say that there is no one country in the world where all women can expect to receive these rights.” And although halloween costumes seem like a miniscule ordeal compared to pay and political decision making I believe it is equally important. Until everyone can see men and women as equal everyday then no progress can be made with larger ordeals.
For me this whole costume fiasco takes the fun out of dressing up. Instead of dressing up for what you want to be for halloween it seems that society has shifted so we should dress up for how people are expecting us to dress up -- and that is not the point of halloween. Hopefully soon we will reach a point where a woman can walk into a halloween store and can pick out whatever costume she wants without feeling like she needs to be sexy in order to be accepted.
