Advanced Essay #4: Women as Targets

For this paper, I tried to show how sexual harassment is a very prevalent issue that we have been tackling for years. Women are challenged with the situation that they are in

they are always the targets in society. My process was not very easy because it was hard for me to combine all the same ideas together and not sound repetitive. But, as I read

the articles I figured a way to show the approach in different ways.

In today’s society,  we face many issues that either affect the community as a whole or a particular group of people. Sexual harassment is an ongoing problem that has remained in society for years and the sad truth is that women are the main targets. Most women who are victims of sexual assault are discouraged from speaking up because they are either afraid or ashamed to face the problem due to the response that they will get from the public or the harasser. As a young woman, I can definitely relate to these women who feel this way because you never know if the situation could be fixed or would only get worse. However, I feel as though women should face the problem right away and have zero doubts in reporting it because it is very important to make a move instead of just ignoring the issue. How will the problem be solved if it is being ignored?

Sexual harassment can occur anywhere, especially in a work environment. This will add more tension to the victim which can be a severe detriment to an employee’s work life. The quantity and quality of the employee might suffer, as well as the employee’s ability to work with others. Sexual harassment will not only affect the employee’s performance at work but it will harm their psychological and physical wellbeing. According to the source FindLaw, “Inform the harassing individual in a polite, but clear, fashion that their offending conduct is unwelcome and should stop immediately. This alone can sometimes be enough to put a quick stop to workplace harassment.” Even though confronting the harasser can be a risky move for others, it’s always better to have the courage to step up because this can give them a realization that something needs to be fixed. They may think that their actions are “normal” even though it’s already causing tension between the victim and the harasser. Little do they know that their words already has a great impact in a person’s well-being.

Society has taught some of us the power differences between men and women which is causing sexual harassment due to society’s traditional sex-role stereotyping. According to a CNN article about women speaking out about Sexual Harassment, “Many women, regardless of age, weight, or appearance, say they've heard something along the lines of ‘Hey baby, you want some of this?’ or ‘I like what I see’ or ‘nice ass.’ All of those statements are sexual harassment. And while some men might consider them compliments, to many women, they are a threat.” Men are put in a greater position of power than women in society which gives the effect that women have a higher rate of harassment experiences because they fill positions of less authority. Society’s expectations are engraved in our minds which causes tension in both genders.

Sexual Harassment is an ongoing issue for years that most of us still suffer from today. Even though people have little education about this topic, there are still ways to lessen the problem through community involvement. Nowadays, there are multiple anti-harassment groups and campaigns that everyone can reach out too. Just like most of the issues that we are facing in society, the help of the community is always very beneficial to lessen the problem since more inputs are being incorporated and the topic will get more attention if a large group is involved. Many women today are also standing up against sexual harassment with other women which shows the action that is progressing to lessen the issue.