From the beginning of time, women have always been treated differently. Where it’s from the number of rights they have, to not having gender equality, to men expecting the most from women. In the world we live in there are many gender-related issues facing girls and young women. One of the biggest issues though is how society views and acts towards their bodies. Their bodies get taken for granted, they are constantly judged by what they wear or what they look like, and they are expected to always be perfect. Society has brainwashed many into thinking that is okay to look at another person and judge them by what they look like. The way people act towards one another today is crazy and makes one wonder what happened for society to get here. 

Society has changed the ways people tend to look at girl’s and young women’s bodies. In most cases, it isn't always the best way. Women from all over tend to be sexualized and boys and men sometimes take advantage of that. Where in today’s life more than 1 in 3 women have experienced sexual violence or sexual harassment. In most cases, many girls may have expirence sexual harassment and haven’t even noticed. People in society feel as if it’s okay to take another person for granted as long as it benefits them, which allows that person to experience such a horrible thing. The author of “The Myth of the Latin Woman'', Judith Cofer, believes that if you get called upon or “cat called” that “this is sometimes a very good thing- it may win you that extra minute of someone’s attention. But with some people, the same things can make you an island- not so much a tropical paradise an Alcatraz, a place nobody wants to visit”.(Cofer. Para. 2). Where many people don't realize that being hit on isnt always the best feeling. Especially when the comment has to do with your body. Many have had their bodies taken for granted and to have to go through something like that is so heartbreaking. Your body is your body and you should never let someone take it for granted. 

When it comes to girls and young women they also tend to get judged by what they wear and look like just as much. When girls go through puberty their body begins changing in many ways. Where it’s from body hair to gaining weight, to growing bigger breasts and bigger butts, it all seems to go unnoticed. As they occur people tend to point it out and girls tend to get shamed as their body develops. Girls can't control how our body grows and we shouldn’t be looked upon for it. Like in the poem “barbie doll” the little girl is judged as she grows where the poet states “then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said; you have a great big nose and fat legs”(Line 5-6) Whereas the student points out a body part of hers that may spark new insecurity, where many girls today can completely relate to. Also in the poem she was just advised to “play coy”(Line. 12), how she should just ignore what one says, and that’s what we girls are taught. To ignore what others think of you, but as it constantly gets brought up it begins to get hard to ignore and you start to look down on yourself for it as well. Bodies change and grow in all different shapes or sizes and every one is unique and beautiful in their own way and should not have to be judged or looked at differently by the way their body appears to be. 

Getting their bodies taken for granted, to getting constantly judged all ties together with men and people believing that women need to be perfect all the time. Men tend to look at women and expect their bodies to be perfect, and perfect in the way they want. They expect women to dress perfectly, look perfect and act perfect, pretty much twenty-four- seven. The author from “There Is No Unmarked Woman” states “some days you just want to get dressed in the morning and go about your business. But if you’re a woman, you can't, because there are no unmarked women”(Tannen. Para. 33). She is stating that women cannot go on about their life without being looked at differently. As young women go about their lives, society today has raised those expectations to men, where they believe women should always be perfect. If not, that’s when they begin judging women and taking them for granted. The only way this issue can be changed is for men to realize that women’s bodies are not their bodies and they shouldn’t get a say as to what they look like or how they should look like. Boys today need to be taught better to respect girls and women and to not judge one by the way they look. 

The world can truly be a cruel place and the number of issues that still occur relating to gender equality is absolutely insane. One of the biggest issues today is how society views and acts towards young women and girls’ bodies. Their bodies get taken for granted, they are constantly judged by what they wear or what they look like, and they are expected to always be perfect. The male gender needs to be taught better when it comes to judging another by what they look like. Society can really be a negative influence sometimes but in the end, your body is your body and you should love it no matter what anyone has to say about it.