The other day, I read an article on the havoc women’s eyes create. Specifically, there is a law being propositioned in Saudi Arabia by the “Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice” that will require women with “sexy eyes” to cover them up. It seems by “sexy eyes” they mean “eyes”. Mind you, this is the same country where women wear abaya and niqāb by law.
Ha, so it is not enough that women must be covered in black from head to toe but now their eyes are to be shielded as well? It’s so sad that it’s almost comical. Now before we start to head down that path of “oh these Muslims”, it is my opinion that in all areas of this earth the underlying definition of “woman” is “object created for enjoyment of man” plainly put.
So this is not about the Saudi men or even about Islam. This is about why it is women are to be blamed for the behaviour of men. Why it is that women suffer so as not to be a temptation to men simply by being themselves. How come none of our great civilizations have come up with the neat idea of requiring men to go about blindfolded so they won’t have to be distracted by the awesomeness that is woman. That would put them out of their misery, right?…and make it that much easier for them to serve God, Yahveh, Allah, insert other supreme being,etcetera n’est-ce pas?
It is so as not to be a temptation to men that girls get their clitoris cut off, that school girls are allowed to die in a fire, that young girls get their breasts ironed, so to speak, or patted down as they begin to grow. Now I know some of you reading this blog post know exactly what I’m referring to. And I insist again, I did not have my breast patted down, nope, they came in way too fast and much earlier than expected for my unsuspecting mother, I guess that’s one good thing about being the first-born, but boy the thoughts that went through my head when I saw it done on someone else.
Seriously? Where is the logic in all of that?
It is for this same reason why school age girls are required to have their hair cropped short, why in countless countries women are not allowed to wear trousers (including Paris, France go figure), why if a girl/woman is sexually assaulted she must have done something in her mannerisms or attire to bring it on, and why girls who get pregnant in school are kicked out, while the boys who impregnated them go on to complete their schooling, become “respected men” who then expect to marry a wholesome woman.
All this is just too much.
Actually, speaking of sexual assault, have you ever noticed that when the sexual assault/rape is of a boy/man, no one really comments as to what he was wearing, whether he flipped his hair this way or that, how he was walking, except of course when that man is effeminate or a cross-dresser well obviously then he was asking for it.. Meanwhile, a report on a female victim of sexual assault is always going to try and figure out her role in the crime rather than just accepting that the perpetrator is a vicious beast.In this scenario the double standard is such that the trauma is probably harder for the boy victim than the girl victim because he hasn’t been socialized to think of himself as victim. But that’s another story.
Shaking my head none the less!
A while ago I was contacted by a Facebook friend, a childhood classmate, who essentially told me that he was coming for me. Apparently being single means being available for the picking. It meant I was still wild and therefore could be spoken to in any manner. If I didn’t want to be hounded, I should have found a man by now to tame me and make me honourable. What stupidity. Why isn’t it enough for me to say “yes, I’m single but that doesn’t mean I’m available to you”. Why would I have to fake a boyfriend, fiance, or spouse so that you, you random man, would respect me?
Uggh! I believe all women have received this psychological message in one form or another. The one that says we must be tamed and/or victimized so as not to traumatize poor innocent boys/men with our awesomeness. You know, for our own good!
World, can we stop punishing young girls and women? Eve takes it all back.
A lover of mangoes. A woman - smart, without pretense, lefthanded, Afropolitan - navigating this thing called life. An unapologetic believer in social justice and karma. Choosing to radiate positive energy and be true to myself. Here, my musings.
Maybe you should cover your eyes…then nobody would "come for you". Take the assault out of it, and I think women like being chased, even if its just to say, "I denied all 10 suitors". that being said, maybe you should try to cover your eyes to stop unwanted advances.
That idea, that women enjoy being "chased," ie harassed, is yet another chauvinistic maneuvering at ameliorating sexual objectification. It attempts to include the victim (and purport that she in fact benefits!) in her own dehumanization. I've heard this sorry trick from men of all walks of life.