Women in 2020

Things I needed to say and you need to read.

As a woman in 2020 there are things that I have to deal with that often get dismissed because people don’t want to hear about it.  Things continue to happen that should not happen, people say things like “it’s just the way it is”, but, it shouldn’t be this way and until we stop feeling like this and talk about it, it will continue to happen.  I do not apologise for what I’m going to say and if we all talk about it then things will change.

As a woman in 2020 I know that I am a second-class citizen and I know that I am not as important in society’s eyes as a man.  I don’t get paid the same and I don’t get listened to without someone saying that I’m standing on a soapbox or I’m looking for attention.  So, I’m just going to say it.

I am a woman and I’m not a piece of meat.  It is not ok for men to shout comments at me in the street.  It is not ok for men to try and pick me up in their car.  It is not ok to be stared at in an aggressive way.  It is not ok to be followed and forced into corners or rooms against my will.  It is not ok that I feel unsafe at night and it is not ok that I feel that it is my fault. 

I am a woman and it is my right to wear whatever I want, without repercussions.  It is my right to feel safe without a man to protect me.  It is my right to do whatever I want to do without having to think if I will be vulnerable or not.  It is my right to give these opinions without being told that I am being melodramatic or seeking attention.  It is time that women felt safe and it the responsibility of everyone to make sure that this happens. 

If this makes you feel angry or annoyed, then shame on you.  Until more people are willing to say that women are not equal and should be, until more people talk about these situations, nothing will change.  Until we educate our children about what is right or wrong, about what men and boys can and cannot do then it will continue and that is not right.