I was once told “c’mon being a woman can’t be that serious or that hard” and I sarcastically laughed. I laughed, not because I thought his comment was by any means funny but because I thought — how can I as a woman explain to this man how frightening it can be for me as a woman on a day to day basis without sounding hysterical.
From a young age, I was always told to find ways to avoid unwanted attention by covering up; by wearing clothes that don’t expose anything revealing. That going out in the afternoon as the sun is setting in shorts or a dress is never a good idea. The older I grew, the more I realized that regardless of what I was or wasn’t wearing would always make a target — why? Because I am a woman.
Let me provide you with a couple statistical facts.
• 1 in 4 girls will be sexually abused before they turn 18 years of age.
• 1 in 6 women have been the victim and/or attempted rape in their lifetime.
• Nearly 1 in 10 women have been assaulted/raped by their intimate partner (spouse/partner)
• Women are more likely to be victimized by male offenders than by female offenders.
• 91% are rape victims and sexual assaults are female.
Now, these are only a few of statistical facts, but they show the severity of crimes against women — regardless of age. Discussion around violence against is extremely important — this includes all forms of violence ranging from murder, rape, stalking, domestic assault, prostitution and sexual harassment.
Therefore, my answer to how scary it is to a woman now a days can be explain in a number countless of ways:
– I carry my pepper spray and taser, EVERYWHERE I go.
– I don’t go on runs after the sun has already set.
– I avoid male drivers when I’m catching an Uber back home at night.
– I’m always in high alert when I’m out drinking.. Even with friends.
– I try to avoid direct eye contact with men when I’m walking.
– I take self-defense classes at least once a month.
And, the list can go on and on. My point for this post, is to make men more aware of how many women live their daily lives in order to prevent being just another victim. It’s important for readers to know that I understand that just about anyone can be a victim; however, I’m speaking in the perspective of me, as a woman. I am not by any means implying that ALL men are perpetrators or criminals — but to any man that thinks being a woman is easy now a days, you have no idea what you’re talking about.