Trigger warning: this blog post mentions rape and assault.
"I realized from a young age the meaning of hair in our society and became aware of the fact that for the boys in my school, everyone focused on their achievements, while the girls were being defined by their physical attractiveness, making their outer appearance the most important part of their identity. I realized that the lack of justice and equality is mainly due to long-standing hierarchical cultural norms and structures that do not favor the self-actualization of women and other people that do not fit the norm. But what does this have to do with rape/sexual assault? I grabbed a sharp stone every time I walked home, even when I was with my male ‘friends'. As my hands were shaking with the stone, my brother was swinging his arms and listening to music as he walked home. I never thought this would be normalized. The in-built fear and terror women carry around is an indication of how society has constantly given men the authority and blamed women for getting raped. My ex-boyfriend raped me but I never realized. This showed me how narrow we view the image of rape. It is not always violent but I have to be okay with it. But he never had my consent all those times. I know I will never recover from this trauma but I will always support other women in finding our voice."
- Anonymous