Females have been subject to a lot of sexism, from being called sexy at work or being patted on the ass. Incidents are countless, here we share how you can deal with everyday sexism.
In the patriarchal society, it is a privilege and a luxury for the women to live a respectful life without being catcalled, eve-teased, humiliated, objectified, and harassed. It has become normal and acceptable when men make sexist remarks to women in public or private. From the overt to the covert, sexism has become a part of a woman’s life. However, if we ask the men about this phenomenon then they would say that it rarely exists and if we ask the women the same then she would say that it exists everywhere. What’s the reason behind this divide? It is simply because the sinner never admits that he sinned and nobody can be more accurate about the crime than the victim. Women face it almost everyday and their experience has become the basis of their opinion about everyday sexism.
Men use sexist language that sexually objectifies the women and insults them. It is used so casually that it has become a part of the mainstream language. Images of women in a bikini with a sexist tagline under it show that the media is also sexist in many ways. Girls are made to feel that their worth is defined by the way they look and they value themselves based on what men think about them. Too fat, too slim, too tall, too short, too modern, too orthodox, too stylish, less stylish, not so beautiful, too sexy, and the list is long. Continuous objectification of women has become a way of living in our society. They are seen as mere objects that are there to serve the men.
Moreover, the sexual harassment cases on streets or at work or even at home have increased over the past few decades. A girl has to listen to abusive language, sexist comments, and vulgar words whenever they step out on the streets. How can women fight this? Are there any ways through which we can identify these men and shame them publically to stop these activities. What can the women do to fight the everyday sexism? Well, there are several steps that every woman must take to contribute to the fight against sexism and gender inequality. Let’s take a look at them.
1) Understand the difference between a true compliment and a sexist remark. You should instantly oppose the sexist remarks whether it is by a friend, stranger, boss or anyone. First and foremost, you must openly speak about the remark and make sure that you make it clear to them that you don’t like such sexist comments. Be as open and clear as you can be.
2) Spread awareness about this topic and talk to as many people as you can about sexism. Talk to your friends, classmates, colleagues, and other people and tell them how they can fight it.
3) Learn self-defense techniques. Take a karate class or any other defense learning class that can help you be confident in any harrowing situation. When you know a certain defensive technique then you have the courage to fight any kind of situation.
4) Attend occasional seminars, campaigns, and workshops that talks about sexism and learn as much as you can about this phenomenon.
5) Go public about such cases and post about it online to social media websites that are spreading awareness on this topic. This will ensure that other people will also know about your struggle and they will find inspiration from others. There is an awareness project with a hashtag #everydaysexism, you can post your stories with this hashtag.
6) Raise your voice and don’t be afraid of doing it. Make an active statement and teach the girls in schools and homes to speak up and fight for what’s right.
Certainly, with time and effort, we will be able to overcome this social issue that haunts the women of our society in their everyday life.
