If You Don’t Listen To Us, NO Sex!
Every women around the world should have power over their own bodies. No men should say or do whatever they want with a women. Obviously it becomes a huge issue when it comes to women being sexualized and objectified. Although in today’s society, it seems like it is normal to sexualize a woman. Why did it become a social norm? I don’t even know myself. But for many years, women have been fighting so hard against the men who keep treating women this way and to prevent sexualization from happening further. It seems like this fight still continues today.
The fights and protests that women go through to get what they want is usually not heard. What I’m saying is that the women are heard in the media for a couple of days and it disappears. No one talks about it anymore or does anything about it. The men won’t listen to what the women have to say and continues to do as they please. In Aristophanes’ play, Lysistrata, some of the comedy and humor keeps it interesting, but what the women were doing in the play made it important. The women in the play went as far as to not have intercourse with their men. They wanted the men to stop being so arrogant and to stop and listen to what they have to say. This play took place in Athens around 411 B.C. which was way, way in the past. Things were completely different back then compared to the present. The women in the play were tired of doing everything for their men, so they decide to protest using their bodies as weapons. They will not let their men have sex with them until they all agree on what the women wants in return. The word on women protesting against the men spread through other parts of the city and many more women wanted to join in the fight. It was interesting to read how the majority of the women fought hard and did everything they can to get the attention of the all the men. They protected other women who had men treating them badly. They had women leave their homes and stop doing all the house work that a housewife would do. They stopped everything in order for the men to take them seriously. Especially not having sex with them did the job. After a while the men gave up and just let the women do as they please. This was a huge victory for the women in Athens because something did come out of this protest.
Although it’s odd and amazing to see that women had victory because of this protest. Compared to the present, usually the protest that women participate in have little to no effect unless the protest is huge enough. Like I mentioned earlier, the media becomes aware of the protest for a couple of days, then the news of it is gone. If it is huge enough like the Women’s March, it will continue to be in the media, but from what I’ve seen so far, there are no actions being taken. Trump is obviously not going to do anything about it. He doesn’t care about the citizens enough to even address the Women’s March. So because we have this kind of president, all the people can do is continue to fight and spread the word.
Some women performed extreme methods in order protect their bodies and get the attention of not only the men that are hurting them, but the whole world. They needed everyone to know that they were going to be violated and that they have no control whatsoever. What happened in Aleppo was tragic, but it raised awareness of what is really going on. These women committed suicide so that they won’t be raped by the horrible men. They rather be dead than have someone ruin and hurt their bodies. Their choice in committing suicide was a way of gaining control over their bodies. If they can’t have control over themselves, then no one can. I would assume that these women wouldn’t recommend committing suicide as an option to be heard, but it was a message to women that we need to fight for our bodies. Does not matter how hard we fight, as long as we continue to fight for what is rightfully ours. Although in Lysistrata, the women did not go with the extreme method, they still used their bodies to get the men’s attention. It was a difficult fight for women because in the past women had no rights over anything. Some places today, like in Aleppo, women still don’t have a lot of rights over their bodies. Hearing the news about women having to result to death in order to have that control, is heart breaking. I understand that people are suffering out there in Aleppo, but people shouldn’t have to think about committing suicide.
For the women out there who are fighting and protesting for all women, continue doing what you are doing. You are doing an amazing job spreading the word out there. We all need to continue to fight for what we believe in. We ALL Can Do It!
