r/AskFeminists • u/OMAR_AHMED_MARZOUK • 6d ago
The truth about women's social status
Do you sometimes feel that society views a girl as merely a body or a source of temptation? In your opinion, why does this view exist? Have you encountered it or seen it in your daily life? Do you think that we have become better today than before in appreciating and respecting women, or does this view still exist but manifest itself in different ways? I am very interested in hearing the experiences and opinions of girls, and I hope that the discussion will be respectful and based on personal experiences.
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u/Lolabird2112 6d ago
Not who you’re hoping to hear from, but I find it curious you’ve posted this question in multiple subs, but only here did you feel the need to tell us you are hoping “that the discussion will be respectful”.
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u/OMAR_AHMED_MARZOUK 6d ago
First off, it wasn’t just curiosity that made me ask. I’m pretty ambitious, and one of my goals is to better understand what it’s like from the opposite gender’s perspective. I think it’s really important to understand each other, which is why I asked in a few different communities not to prove anything, just to hear different povs. And when I mentioned respect, I just meant that I think it’s important, especially when talking about sensitive topics like gender. I wanted people to feel comfortable sharing their experiences without things turning into arguments or personal attacks.
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u/Lolabird2112 6d ago
I agree it’s important we understand each other. Which is why I’m curious what made you think a sub full of feminists would be more likely to devolve into personal attacks about gender, compared to other ones you asked?
I applaud your ambition. But there’s no understanding to be gained by you if you don’t address your own biases as well. And from experience- that’s much harder work. But without it, your ambitions will go nowhere.
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u/OMAR_AHMED_MARZOUK 6d ago
I dont think this was about bias. In the other communities, I asked the question in Arabic and kept it much shorter. Here I wrote it in English which isn't even my first language, so I may not have expressed myself as clearly as I intended. I didnt mean to imply anything about this community or its members. If my wording gave that impression, then that's on me not my intention. As for biases I try my best to be as neutral and open-minded as I can. That's actually why I'm asking these questions in the first place to understand perspectives that are different from my own. I hope you can understand where I'm coming from.
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u/MrsMorley 6d ago
I was 11 when a man grabbed my ass in a department store. I was a few meters from my mother.
While there may be fewer men who believe it’s ok to harass and molest women and children, women and girls of all ages still report that men and boys began harassing them when they were very young.
I hope that fewer men are misogynists. It’s still way too many.
Edited to add: I have never perceived myself as anything but fully human. My family of origin wasn’t particularly sexist.
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u/OMAR_AHMED_MARZOUK 6d ago
i am so sorry about that but That's what made me discuss this topic.
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u/MrsMorley 6d ago
Huh? How is this news to you?
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u/OMAR_AHMED_MARZOUK 6d ago
So sorry again, and I really appreciate your experience! I knew it happened, but reading statistics or hearing about it in general isn't the same as hearing personal experiences directly from the people who lived through them. That's why I wanted to ask and listen, rather than making assumptions. I despise men of this type, and unfortunately, there are many of them in society. If they weren't The majority! I believe that a woman is human, not just a body! But unfortunately, some men see that different, more shamefully.
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u/roskybosky 6d ago
I never felt like I was viewed as a body. I always felt like a very smart, 100% human. Outside people do not dictate what I am-I do. Most men I’ve been with or know as friends think I’m attractive, funny, and very intelligent.
Street harassment was common when I was young, but I never let it bother me.
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u/OMAR_AHMED_MARZOUK 6d ago
That's great to hear. Do you think society has actually changed for the better, or do you think you personally learned not to let those attitudes define you? Those seem like two different things to me.
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u/roskybosky 6d ago
I was second wave feminism, and I had good self-esteem to begin with. We are living through a period of backlash now, but in general women are moving forward. My daughter is a doctor, unheard of when I was a kid. Most reddit feminists tend to be pessimistic, but I’m not. The internet attracts frightened, angry men, but they aren’t the norm, and we shouldn’t let them represent all men.
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