We live in the 21st century, in the world of freedom, democracy and privacy. We should be free to choose our own paths in life, we should be free to speak and we should be free to do what we want. We live only once in this world and as human beings, we have the rights to live in dignity and enjoy our lives and let others enjoy theirs. Women are subject to all sorts of assaults the minute they step out into the streets - whistles, cat calls, lame comments, propositions, stares etc. The stories are all too common and they are based on incidents that occur every minute of every day on the streets.
And this is for all those who say, well, the women invite it by the way they dress. Since when do women need to control the way they look? Why can’t they wear anything to show off their perfect bodies without being accused of looking like ‘sluts’ and since when wearing short skirts is an invitation for men to approach women? It’s their own choice to wear what they want. Respect it. What does a woman's dress have to do with how a man reacts to her? Men seem to think women dress for them, while they REALLY do not. Everyone loves looking good and sexy but that’s because it makes them feel good about themselves. And yes, of course women like some male attention, but that’s not an invitation to anything.
What gives a man the right to think he can feel up a woman no matter how she is dressed? Do women, then, have the right to do whatever it pleases them to a man because they like the colour of his shirt? It all makes me so angry. It’s just unbelievably wrong.
In January, a Toronto police officer told students that in order to avoid being raped 'women should avoid dressing like sluts'. This outrage statement basically says that if we behave or dress in certain ways, we deserve to be raped. That’s an attitude in our society which needs to be fought against and needs to be CHANGED. Rape is NEVER the fault of the survivor.Today at 19.00 SlutWalk will take place on Manchester’s streets, where women will protest against rape and against the false idea of women deserving to be raped if they are wearing revealing clothes. NO. If they are drunk, if they walk home alone late at night after a night out, even if they flirt or are sex workers, they DON’T give an invitation to a sexual assault.
It truly makes me angry how men insolently assume that it's fine to attack women at night, harass them with text messages after getting their number from a CONFIDENTIAL cupboard at work, or even comment on the way they look on streets. How dare they disturb our privacy and harass even if they are told to back off? I don't understand how so many of them can just get away with it.
We are all free and let us be free.
I really wish I could be in Manchester today but I hope the rest of women can make a change.
