Essay On Dehumanizing Women

1211 Words3 Pages

For centuries, women have simply faced the challenge of having their rights and being recognized in The United States. In a union that is supposedly “united”, women are often criticized, ridiculed, and shamed simply because they are women. There have been various efforts to get women their equality. There is a need for respect, that goes beyond just equality with men; it is a fight for living, surviving, and finally getting what is deserving of women. It is the equality and rights of women that should not be up for debate or heavily controlled by the government. Society is constantly dehumanizing women, their status, and undermining their achievements. There are many factors that play in the detrimental society in The United States such as rape culture, media, and religion. “She asked for it.” Attitudes, beliefs, and incorrect ideas about rape have been with us for centuries. There are constantly meaningless excuses, such as "women ask for it," and "women secretly enjoy rape". Women are indeed not objects of pleasure, but it seems as though people cannot get the message. Feminism is needed to get this point across; it is needed as a representation that women are people. Rape is a violent act of power; it is not a sexual act. Rape is dehumanizing for the victim, but yet the victim is always a fault. We live in a society where victims are being blamed for “what they were wearing” or “she led him on”. Justice is not being served in any shape, way, or form. Rape culture cannot be simply defined because of the factors that can influence the situation. However, it could be best defined by Emilie Buchwald, author of Transforming a Rape Culture, “a complex set of beliefs that encourage male sexual aggression and supports violenc... ... middle of paper ... ...their ground, in some instances; rape is a way to display their “manhood” of proving that they enjoying women, but that they are strong and capable of overpowering woman. Straight men tend to view gay men as both a threat to their masculinity, it causes them to feel the same fear of rape that women feel at all times. The United States is clearly suffering a rape epidemic. “One in six women will be raped in her lifetime” (“Who Are the Victims?”). If we continue to allow gender roles to be perpetuated by religion and dominate our lives and our youth, men and women will forever be unequal. These causes must be addressed and be fixed. It is not only a political duty but this must be morally solved also. The solution to end rape and gender roles is upon us, if only society realized that. We have the power to end rape. Women should not have to live in fear at all.

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