Only if men own up

#MeToo. That’s the most recent social media campaign that was started to stand against sexual harassment and assault. It went viral. Countless women came forward to recount their experiences. Of being catcalled. Of being groped. Of being body-shamed. Of being threatened. Of being raped. The extent of the problem is that every woman, no matter where she is from, has been a victim of one or more forms of sexual harassment and/or assault. The extent of the problem is that sexual harassment/assault is a gross human rights violation and yet the world is not as shocked and appalled as it should be to hear of such abuse. Not enough to be up in arms anyway. In the end, #MeToo is just another fleeting campaign which is, at best, a support group for victims. The truth of the matter is that the problem will go away only if the perpetrators (men) own up. This is usually the part where ‘good men’ get offended by being banded together with the ‘bad men.’ They demand the use of “some men” instead of just “men.”And I say, this is where owning up begins. Stop making it about you or your ego or feelings. The fact is that while you may not have done it, you have smiled or laughed after your friend, brother, colleague said or did something inappropriate to a woman. Or maybe you were embarrassed but you stayed silent because of ‘bro code.’ And that makes you guilty. Staying silent in the face of injustice is just as bad as committing injustice. In my personal experience, the only time men rebuke their counterparts for harassment is when they recognize me. “That’s so and so’s daughter.” Then the perpetrator suddenly feels guilty and coils away. What this basically tells me is that it’s not enough to be a human being. I must belong to someone to be deserving of decent treatment. Failure to recognize women as independent beings can also be seen in the way that a man will be relentless in his pursuit despite telling him “no” in no uncertain terms. The only explanation he will accept is that you are married or you have a boyfriend. Apparently, you can’t be a single woman and not want to be with him or anyone for that matter. In hindsight, the problem will only go away if men own up to, and renounce their treatment of women as property. But the most obvious way to own up is to stop shifting blame. No, the victims don’t deserve it for trusting their male friends enough to be in a secluded area with them. They don’t deserve it because they have worn something skimpy considering that no female is safe, no matter what they are wearing. They don’t deserve it for walking at night or alone. Just own up and stop the harassment instead of telling women to live in constant fear and self-consciousness. Until this happens, women will be forced to continue making silent prayers when they are about to pass by a group of men. They will have to endure unbecoming remarks and violations against their bodies while everyone tells them that they deserve it and/or that they shouldn’t be such crybabies about it.

Lifestyle

Only if men own up