Women have been living at the mercy of men for centuries, being put in an uncomfortable and inappropriate spot. 

Being in Uncomfortable Situations with Men 

     In a girl’s life, uncomfortable and inappropriate experiences with men are unavoidable regardless of age, looks, race, etc. “I remember the time that I was walking down the street with my friends, and we all got catcalled by a group of older men driving past in a car,” said an anonymous female sophomore. “The feeling afterwards was terrible as I felt disgusted with myself as if it was my fault.”  

   Things like these don’t only happen with random men, but even with people who you could consider family. “A friend of my parents would comment on my body every time he had the chance pointing out if I was wearing something too short or tops that were too revealing,” said a female junior. “In a lot of these instances I wasn’t wearing anything too revealing. He just made these comments because he felt like it and would say it with a smile on his face as well. It made me feel like I had no control over the situation and just made me feel bad in general.” 

Secondhand Perspectives 

     “I have seen many women in my life made uncomfortable simply because men can’t keep certain comments or actions to themselves,” said a female freshman. “I once saw how my own mom was groped by a man that she did not know, and right after I saw the look of fear and disgust in her face. It was heartbreaking to see.”  

     It is important to recognize when these situations happen and not just sit there and do nothing about it and instead speak out or tell someone that you trust. “When I see these things happen, I have been too scared to do anything about it because I feel like I would become that man’s next target,” said one female sophomore. “However, the last time I witnessed something like this happen, I built up the courage and told a security guard who ended up helping the poor lady who had been assaulted.”   

What Men Should Know 

     Men sometimes don’t see the issue with the things that they do because they believe that some women are “looking for it” or “feel flattered” when they do these disgusting things. “I wish some of these men understood the trauma that us women can get from this,” said one female senior. “We can grow to not even want affection from a man because it reminds us of this type of traumatic events.”  

     Actions and comments made by men can also make women feel incredibly bad about themselves and can even cause them to think that maybe if they hadn’t worn a certain thing, then the men wouldn’t have made these comments. “I hope men one day take into consideration the feelings of women when they put them in these uncomfortable situations. Most women don’t like this kind of attention and men don’t realize that,” said one female junior.  

     I wish men would realize that their actions come with consequences. We have seen time and time again how these types of men get away with harassing women not just verbally but physically as well with no repercussions which is why they keep on doing it. Hopefully, more women are brave enough to speak out about their experiences so that there can be an end to men’s disgusting actions.  

If you are struggling with a situation where men’s words or actions are causing you discomfort or stress, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673.