I Am WOMAN

It's been a while - yes - but I'm back. This time, for a really important reason. A reason that is incredibly important because first and foremost, I am a woman, and so is half of the world's population.

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We live in an era where technology grows faster than the human race does. Literally and figuratively. One would expect changes in how we work as humans: a rise in gender equality, a decrease on sexual segregation, equal opportunities for men and women, glass ceilings shattered (and loads more social issues that would have been solved as time went on). However, there are things that are apparently not going to change - because as women, we seemingly still don't deserve any respect whatsoever.

Just in the year of 2016, 1 in 3 women have experienced some form of sexual harassment - and this was only in the workplace alone. That's 33% - an alarmingly high percentage. Here is the issue: most women don't realise they are being sexually harassed at all, until the advances become so offensive. Since 33% occurs mainly in the workplace, what about out of the workplace? The statistics are appalling.

Who are these sexual harassments coming from? 75% of them are male coworkers. I repeat, COWORKERS. Imagine the amount of males a woman encounters outside of work. I am not saying that men don't experience sexual harassment in the workplace, they do, but women are ultimately the target.

You might just wonder "Why didn't these women report it?", my answer: "Because they are afraid to, they think that it's their fault. Most of all - even if they did report it, close to nothing would be done about it, so what's the point?" Do you see the problem here?

Since almost nothing would be done if women did report it, more than half of sexual harassment cases don't get solved. Thus, these sexual harassers get away with their act again and again, thinking that what they're doing is okay, when in reality, what they're doing is already over the borderline of offensive.

"What is the solution?" you ask. Well, there isn't a foolproof one. Educating is one thing, but really understanding the importance of NOT sexually harassing anyone is another. You can only teach so much - it's up to the individual to actually understand that harassing (be it sexually or not) anyone is absolutely not okay.

Personally, I did not realise I was a victim of sexual harassment until I proper reading on it - cat called as I walked down a corridor or the street, had offensive comments said directly to my face, called a "fat bitch" just by saying "No" to a request. Sound familiar to any of you girls? Getting called profanities and rude names because someone wouldn't take "No" for an answer.

What frustrates me the most, is that not only does it happen to me, but to so many other women around the world - most of them not knowing that it happened to them. Just when you think the world would change, it hasn't. Most times, I think that it's my fault that I let these things happen to me - wearing shorts and bodycon dresses. But then again, who are these people to tell me what I can and cannot wear? Who is to dictate how my body looks? Who are you to tell me to "cover up or you'll attract trouble"? I will wear my shorts and tank tops wherever and whenever, thank you very much. Just teach your sons not to sexually harass women. End of story.

Ladies, it is not your fault that these things happen. You stood your ground, and was as strong as you can be. You are protecting yourself by saying "No". You have the rights to say "No". You do you, don't change because some male decided it was okay to make offensive sexual remarks about you, or call you things you are not.

Men (I'm addressing the percentage who think disrespecting women is okay), stop being twats and grow a pair. Women aren't made for you to disrespect and use as sexual objects, so stop treating them like one. It's people like you that make others lose faith in humanity, and make decent men hate the fact that they are men. We have a phrase in Chinese: 你也是你妈妈生的. Translation: your MOTHER gave birth to you. She's a woman too. Disrespecting other women would mean you were disrespecting your mother. So, treat other women how you would treat your mother. Anyway, without a woman, you as men wouldn't even exist. That's some food for thought.