Is it right? is it wrong?

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Recommended: The role of gender and ethnicity in perceptions of rape and its aftereffects

Women are affected by violence in many ways. Specifically, rape and sexual harassment are some causes as to why there are women afraid to walk alone in the dark or go for a run in the park by themselves. Men take advantage of their power over women by placing them in a state of fear, which makes it difficult for a woman to fight back. As a result, there are many rape and sexual harassment cases that are not reported because women are perceived as problems that need to be solved and not as victims. After all, rape and sexual harassment are very personal to women so speaking up about violence would be challenging. Living in fear will not defend your body. However, a woman should not have to walk to her car holding out keys as a weapon in fear that she might be attacked. If roles were reversed and men where being raped, I wonder if actions would be changed? Would there be more women as the rapists behind bars than there are men? When women are raped they are almost always faulted. Regardless of how brave some individuals are women were given guidelines on how to avoid being a victim of rape. The brave individuals who decide to speak out about abuse and the horrifying experience. “She should not be walking out alone at night; she should not hitchhike; she should not live alone…she should not dress in such a way as to “invite” rape” (Rosalyn Baxandall and Linda Gordon, Dear Sisters: Dispatches from the Women’s Liberation Movement: Rape: The All American Crime; Karen Lindsey, Holly Newman, and Fran Taylor, pg.196). Why aren’t men being told what they should not wear? Why men aren’t told not to perpetuate rape? Men are once again, capable of keeping women in fear. Rape is force, intimidation, and dreadful to women, so when they go throu... ... middle of paper ... ...ld be difficult to try and understand the terrifying experiences that women would endure. It is never the victim’s fault when being forced into sexual encounters. By all means, women should be treated with equality and have the right to their own bodies. Therefore, the prosecution of all rape cases should be handled with the same intensions and severity. It should not be the governments right to decide whether or not one rape is better than the other. They should not have to live in fear of being attacked or abused by a man. But what women can do is prepare themselves for the worst. Learning how to protect themselves and speaking out are actions that will increase the number of rapists being punished for their crimes. It would take a lot of work and dedication but within time women will be able to stand up to a man and not fear walking to their cars alone at night.

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