Some men seem to think they have the right to talk to me, whether I want to or not. Some men think they have the right to have my cell phone number. Some men think they have the right to cat call me and say vulgar things to me. Some men think they have the right to take me out. Some men think they have the right to use my body. All because I am a woman.
Every time I step foot on the street I am blatantly stared at. Men say things as I walk by. "Bonsoir", "Ca va?", "Salut", "Hello", "Zwina", "Gazelle", "Tuta", and when I ignore them, they just repeat it again and again, louder, irritated that I won't look at them. "You speak English?", "Where are you going?", "Why so fast?". I am solicited for my number by men I've never seen before. I'm solicited to get into the car with men I've never seen before. A man in Marrakech last weekend commented on my friend's and my breasts directly to our faces.
I'm sick of it. It's demoralizing. It makes me feel like shit. Comments from random strangers should not affect me, but after seven months, they start taking their toll. After a while, being treated like a commodity makes me feel like a commodity. But more than anything, I just feel angry. I'm angry because I'm powerless. I can't make it stop. I can't make these men understand how hurtful and degrading and sexist and inhumane their words and actions are. It doesn't matter if I ignore them, tell them to go away, or yell obscenities at them (I've done all three). It doesn't change. It's ingrained in the culture.
Not all men in Morocco here are like this. There are good, kind men here who treat women with respect. This is also not restricted to Morocco, or Arab or Muslim countries for that matter. This kind of harassment happens all over the world in under developed countries such as Mexico, India, and south east Asia. I think it tends to be related to education levels. I try to remind myself that it's not just Morocco.
I watched the trailer for Nefarious today, a documentary about sex slavery (I can't wait to watch it). The attitude at the root of sexual slavery is the same attitude at the root of sexual harassment. Harassing a woman on the street, treating her as if she is an object, is no different than participating in the buying and selling of woman as sex slaves. The woman is treated as a commodity for men to play with in both instances.
It's not only women who are objectified. How often have you seen a black person and instead of seeing a person just like yourself, all you see is "black"? How often have you seen a woman in a headscarf and instead of seeing a person just like yourself, all you see is "Muslim"? How often have you seen two gay guys, and instead of seeing two people just like yourself, all you see is "gay"? How often have you seen a prisoner, and instead of seeing a person just like yourself, all you see is "prisoner"? We are all people made in the image of God, and we are all sinners.
I am not inferior to men. I am not a commodity. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I cannot explain the fury I feel when I'm made to feel otherwise. I'm trying to channel my rage into constructive outlets, hence this blog post. Please, please. Think about how you objectify people and stop doing it. If you objectify people in your mind, that will undoubtedly translate into how you treat them. I've spent seven months being treated as a sexual object, and it sure isn't fun.
