The Objectification of Women

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In this day and age some men think that it is acceptable to inappropriately touch women even if she is a stranger to them. They have it set in their minds that all women want to be treated this way because it makes them feel desirable. While some women may think that way, all women are not the same. Men do not feel that sexually violating a woman is considered sexual harassment especially if that woman is dressed in a way that they feel is provocative.

Many times, when a woman is sexually harassed, the blame is somehow placed on the victim. A lot of people say that if a woman is dressed in a certain way then she is asking for a man to violate her. I do not agree with this. Men can walk around with no shirt on but if a woman does this then she is asking to be groped or raped. The blame should not be placed on the woman as men should learn to not objectify women in the first place.

An example of this would be a hot Summer day in California or Texas. People dress to adapt to their climate, so a woman may have on a short-sleeved shirt and shorts. Because of the shorts that she is wearing, she is seen as wanting attention instead of being seen as someone who just wants to stay cool in extremely hot weather. Almost every time a woman is victimized in a sexual manner it is somehow her fault. A statement taken from mic.com shows where a police officer in 2011 stated, “Women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized.” Women should be free to wear whatever they want to wear and men should learn how to stop sexualizing every woman that they see.

According to bustle.com, a common phrase that is asked of these sexual assault victims is, “Did you do anything that could have been misinterpreted?” If a woman tells a man ‘no’, then he should respect that and leave her alone. Many men feel that just because a woman has invited him into her home that he gets to do what he wants no matter how she feels. No means no and it should be respected between both genders.

Sexual harassment is becoming more and more of a problem these days. Men think they shouldn’t be punished for doing what they feel is ‘a basic human feeling.’ Those ‘feelings’ violate many women who are constantly being told that what they are going through is their fault. Expressing themselves through clothing should not result in an experience that can completely change who they are as people. The sexualizing may even go beyond clothing. Women are not objects and they should stop being treated as such.