it’s been a hard week to be a woman.
Sometimes when I'm having a lot of feelings building up and I don’t know what to do about it, I like to let myself just write freely. Let my mind take control, put pen to paper and see what comes out.
A lot of the time it's pieces of writing I'd never be comfortable enough to share but this one resonated and I thought it might with you too.
What started with a day to celebrate women internationally but quickly turned into a reminder that we still have a long way to go,
it’s been a hard week to be a woman.
With the abduction and murder of Sarah Everard happening just days after this so called celebration of women and to find out that it was allegedly a POLICE OFFICER who did it, someone who was supposed to “serve and protect” her,
it’s been a hard week to be a woman.
To know that 97% of women in the UK have experienced sexual assault or harassment and nothing is being done about it,
it’s been a hard week to be a woman.
Then learning that women in Mexico do not celebrate International Women’s Day but protest and remember the women they’ve lost instead because femicides and rape are the norm there, with 11 women being killed every day and their government telling the public these women’s complaints are FAKE,
it’s been a hard week to be a woman.
That one year later, Breonna Taylor still hasn’t received justice after being murdered in her own home by cops WHO SHOULDN’T HAVE EVEN BEEN THERE,
it’s been a hard week to be a woman.
I feel at a loss. When will this stop? When will we be free to walk alone at night without fear? When will we not have to have our keys in between our fingers or in our pockets at the ready to use as a weapon? When will we not have to ask our friends to text us when they get home because no matter what form of transportation they choose, there’s always a risk if you’re out late at night as a woman?
If you men really love women like you say you do, then step up already. I guarantee you that every woman in your life has a story. Just ask them. Every single one of us has a story of harassment or sexual assault or pain caused by men.
Every.
Single.
One.
It might not be “all men” but if you’re not calling out shady and questionable behaviour from your fellow men it might as well be. It’s time to stop blaming women for what they wore, how they acted or how late it was and start questioning the men as to why they think it’s okay to treat us this way.
