Professor Bradley
WC 201
29 November 2016
She Didn’t Ask for It
Modesty is determined differently in varying countries and regions of the world; differences range from regional climate to religious influences, with other factors in between. The topic of modesty is often directed at women, suggesting it is the duty of woman to act and dress modestly as a preventative measure for the people around her. This mindset not only questions the independence of women, but also creates a black hole of automatic victimization for women; moreover, other than skewed societal expectations, there is no documentation that cites modesty as a burden solely for women. Despite the sexual nature of this generation, it is not a woman’s responsibility …show more content…
In The Bible, 1 John says “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father but of the world” (NKJV, 1 John 2.16). This verse proves that actions based on lust are the choice of the individual. Again, with choice, it is impossible to force a person to do something outside of their own will. It is not a woman’s responsibility to dress modestly for the people around her. The way a women dresses and acts cannot be acceptable reasoning for being raped. As society moves further away from Biblical morals, the standards of society are blemished. What was acceptable fifty years ago, is now considered archaic and prudish. Acts from cat-calling, to extreme sexual assault, such as rape, are not the result of an immodest woman. People who perform these actions act on their own accord. Categorizing immodesty as the sole reason for these advances is unnecessarily victimizing women and claiming that women should dress modestly to avoid harassment is diminishing to women. A woman’s clothing or demeanor should not automatically deem her a victim. Mutual respect among opposite genders is slowly …show more content…
However, “party culture” and “rape culture” also cannot be accepted as the sole reason for the over sexualization of women. There is a twofold blame. Not only should women have the discernment to not draw attention to themselves, but men should also be wise enough to refrain from regrettable actions. Assaulters and assaulters alone are to blame. Unfortunately, no less than 25% of woman have experienced harassment in the workplace (Dias 32). When women are blamed for their own harassment, other women then refrain from reporting. The Oxford English Dictionary defines “to harass” as “to trouble or vex by repeated attacks.” The victim is not even mentioned in the definition, which again points to the