As we look around at our world, we are able to see the imperfections and the things that we wish to change. Some of these problems that we do have are racism, terrorism, inequality in general and others depending on the area you live in. One of the problems that I deal with is just simply being a girl. I’m not talking about monthly pains, wearing dresses and makeup, not getting asked out by boys or any other “girlish” things. Those are just things that girls tend to do and have. This is not the problem I speak of; the problem I speak of is being harassed for being a girl.

Society tries to show girls as thin, tan, having perfect hair and makeup, happily in a relationship, as well as other expectations. Any girls that look different, don’t wear makeup, are single, or don’t like to be a “girly girl” are looked upon as odd and are sometimes ostracized. All through our childhoods and as we grow and mature we are taught to be ourselves, find who we want to be, but if we do so and it’s not “normal” then we are looked down on by society. These odd social standards lead girls to low self esteem, depression, eating disorders, and other terrible methods to try and look like everyone else.

Another problem is the way that girls are looked at by boys. To put it in a plain way, girls are often looked at as though we are objects. We are not treated as though we are people just like them, but as though we are some toy for them to do what they want with. Many times even in just the last year, my friends and I have seen boys talking about us and looking us up and down, we are immediately filled with more fear than pleasure, and then feel the strong urge to escape. We are not comfortable or flattered by their whistles, flirting, or staring. Ever since we were little, we were taught not to walk down the street alone, don’t walk home at night, always watch your back, what to do if a man is following you, so on and so forth. Even something as simple as going for a walk with my best friend puts us at risk of being harassed or kidnapped. This is one of the problems I see with the world that I would most want to fix. Though my words may appear blunt, or though you may not see this problem, they are true. We are people, we have personalities, we do not deserve to be treated as garbage, we stand up for ourselves and we don’t want to put down for doing so. So why is it that when I politely express my opinions and beliefs, I am not shown respect and politeness in return? Why should I be put down for defending myself against the young men who say things like “Hey, my friend here wants to make out with you,” or whistle at me? Why can I not walk down a busy street at night without feeling like I need to carry some sort of tool to defend myself? If this is a problem I could fix on my own, not only would I do so, but this would make the world safe. If this is a problem that could be fixed today, tomorrow’s world would be much closer to perfection. My idea of a perfect world is me being able to walk down a street alone without feeling like my life is being threatened.