Price of Her Existence

From the bustling city to a quiet village, from home to workplace, from markets to bus stops, from the light of day to the darkness of night, from a girl in a veil and gown to a girl in jeans and top, from childhood innocence to the wisdom of adult age, a woman's journey is full of ogling, unpleasant whistles, and piercing comments. She fights battles against the tendrils of harassment daily. The fight is not only against overt attackers but also against deeply rooted beliefs that support the idea that a woman's life is determined more by social norms than by her agency. A woman is not just a passenger or a bystander in this story; rather, she is a target who has been objectified and dehumanized. She is thought to be a flower that can be plucked and a bird that can be caged. She is treated as an object, not a subject. She is shamed rather than respected. Her silent outcries are left unheard, and her invisible scars are left unseen. She is denied her dignity, autonomy, and humanity- She is stalked, abused, and assaulted. She is stripped of her most basic right -To simply exist- even her existence comes with a price. She has to pay for her existence in the form of bedevilment. This grim reality echoed in prehistoric times too. 

This story of objectification and dehumanization endures in every corner of the globe, across cultures and centuries. The mistreatment of women is a persistent theme in history, from prehistoric tales to contemporary metropolises. Sita went through humiliation, and leering eyes trailed her chariot. Medusa was cursed by God's harassment and vilified for her beauty. Bibi Pak Daman sought refuge from harassment but met with the hungry eyes of a predator. This did not stop here, countless other stories remain untold. It is an ever-present danger lurking within supposed sanctuaries. 

Every woman is merely a piece of meat for men, except for her household women. Women are objectified to the point where their bodies are seen as things to be appreciated, evaluated, and even attacked. Because this behavior is so normal, it becomes normalized and fosters an atmosphere of fear and intimidation that silences women and restricts their freedom of movement. As is said by Sajida Shaik, “objectifying women isn’t the worst part, but normalizing the thoughts of objectifying is." Every time a woman steps into a public space, she becomes public property, and anyone can do whatever they want with her.

This painful truth has become more than just harassment; it has become a kind of sexual terrorism that affects every part of a woman's life. The effects of sexual terrorism are extensive and grave. Women experience psychological and emotional anguish as a result of feeling helpless, violated, and unsafe. It affects their capacity to go about freely, to obtain an education and work, and ultimately to realize their full potential. 

Women's access to safe spaces is further restricted, and their voices are silenced by online harassment, which includes cyberbullying, unsolicited explicit content, and threats of violence. Once hailed as safe spaces for community and connection, social media platforms have turned into havens for sexual terrorism. Because cell phones are so common, harassment can follow a woman around, bringing intrusive images and unwanted propositions into her sacred areas and private times. Every contact is tainted by the persistent worry of being watched and abused online, which turns the digital world into a battleground where women must continuously defend their dignity and autonomy. 

The struggle for survival in this environment of ongoing objectification and harassment becomes a group effort against established systems that uphold the dehumanization of women as well as individual acts of hostility. Freed from the confines of the past, women now face not just the physical threats that wait in the shadows but also the digital ghosts that follow them everywhere they go on the internet. By recognizing the gravity of the problem, tearing down the structures that support it, and elevating the voices of women, we can build a future in which every person, specifically females, may live with dignity, be treated with respect, and be allowed to realize their potential. She has a fundamental right to breathe freely, to dress up freely, to work freely, and to live freely and honorably without any fear of harassment, objectification, judgment, or sexual terrorism. She, as an individual, has the right to a free existence!