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College Voices

6 Thought-Provoking #IfMenHadACurfew Tweets

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Source: Max Pixel

Since the Kavanaugh hearing in early October, more survivors have spoken out. Specifically, the idea of male privilege became more prevalent.

What is male privilege? It is the ability to go out without fear of having their drinks drugged, the safety to run at night, and being able to wear whatever they want without judgment. “What if men had a curfew?” Twitter user, Danielle Muscato, asked. The responses to her tweet are true for many.

The constant state of being in fear at night. That explains the feelings most women feel when they are alone. Women are unable to enjoy the night life without a companion or a phone in their hand. Fear can drive a woman into not going out. This anxiety is stripping women of experiences.

 Women are now forced to think ahead and take preventive action to ensure their safety. There are inventions such as Undercover Colors’ starter kit including small devices that could be used to detect a spiked drink.

“1 in 13 college students has been drugged, or suspects they were drugged,” according to a studydone by the journal Psychology of Violence. In no way is prevention acceptance, but it is a necessary step for women’s safety.

The fear goes further than women. Little girls are not given the same freedom as boys. It is depicted in many pop culture references such as “Stranger Things” and “Stand by Me.”

Those films portray boys being able to go out at night or on their own, while girls are rarely shown in that manner. When we tell girls, it is not safe to walk at night, we are instilling fear. However, the danger is out there, and only once we start talking about them will it stop. 

There are preventive steps many women take to avoid confrontation or worse. Anahi’s scenario is one many women find themselves in. If it’s not going to a party, it’s coming from the bar, or simply walking back from work.

Catcallers whistle or use derogatory terms towards women. Even if the men do not act on anything, the sheer feeling of self-consciousness is one that resonates with women forever.

It is important for men to recognize their male privilege. With their support, we can work towards a society that respects and defends one another. In unity, we can create change.

The life a woman leads can be so foreign to a man who has never had those restrictions. The issue is not that women’s issues are superior to men’s. Women’s struggles need to be recognized.

These struggles can be avoided and it does not need to be a permanent fixture in one’s life experience.  Life experience should include love, fun, and exploration. It should not include fear, self-consciousness, and anxiety. It is important to speak out against your struggle and fight for those being victimized.

By: Vivianna Shields