Luiza Pougy Magalhaes, France/Brazil, SSH Blog Correspondent

When discussing gender inequality the blame is usually laid on men, whilst women are victimized. Albeit men often do hold fault, but ignoring the female role can be damaging.

First and for most, I do not mean, in any way to excuse the actions of those who choose to harass, assault, or disrespect. I do not believe that females provoke this behavior on men or are in any way “asking for it.” Absolutely, I’m a firm believer of ‘teaching boys not to rape rather than girls how to dress’. I have also candidly argued with those with misogynistic values, who called my clothing distracting and feminism unneeded. Nonetheless, I am fully aware that the way women treat each other only instigate the dominance of males in today’s society.

The statement “when a man sleeps around he is a hero, but if a woman does, she’s slut” although common in petitions against male privileges, still remains awfully accurate. How many girls have been slandered for their sexual endeavors while their partners applauded? This is not only unfair, but primitive to say the least, and girls should be standing up against this sort of mentality. However, while caught up in their angst to battle for gender equality, demand for sexual freedom, and fight against double standards, women are failing to realize that they are part of the problem. After all, what woman can truly say she has never attacked another female by calling her a slut, a whore, or a tramp? Very few, and here is where the problem lies.

Slut shaming, or the act of demeaning women for any sort of perceived sexual behavior, is more often than not, done by females. The epidemic, which often goes unnoticed, is in fact a very harmful act. It destroys the self-esteem of many young women every day, leaving them to regard being sexually awake as shameful, wrong, and abnormal. In more extreme cases, slut shaming has even destroyed lives.

So why do females regularly overlook it? How can we denounce men who condemn us for how we dress or the way we walk, while ignoring women who do the exact same? How can we complain about feeling violated, disgusted, and dirty when catcalled, if we are triggering the same emotions on each other? It seems a little hypocritical.

Women must realize that such name-calling supports intolerance and is derogatory of our gender. If we so desperately demand for equality, we should refrain from using such denominations, as trivial as they may seem. As Ghandi so wisely said, we must be the change we wish to see in the world. Maybe it will get us further than we can imagine. Maybe, the male society would forgo judging us inferior if we didn’t set such depreciate labels on one another. Maybe, they would feel obliged to treat us with minimal respect if we didn’t disrespect each other so much. Maybe, more women would stand up for their rights if they felt the support of other females. And maybe – just maybe, by refusing to be a part of slut shaming, we can make a huge difference. Empowering and respecting other women is the most powerful weapon held by females in the battle for gender equality. So, let’s start using it.

I hereby make a pledge to end slut shaming once and for all. Women must unify to terminate petty judgement and start promoting acceptance. We should understand, respect, and recognize that different women are comfortable with different sexual behaviors. No one lacks femininity or is less of woman for being sexually awake. No one should feel ashamed of their desires and decisions. Let’s embrace sexuality at all levels and treat each other the same way we are fighting men to treat us. Let’s empower to be empowered. Whereas it may not abolish inequality, it will most certainly help the lives of many and move us one step closer to living life with the pride and dignity we deserve.

I vow to empower women, rather than demean, to advocate for freedom, rather than detriment, to show support rather than disapproval. Most of all, I vow to never reduce women by using such belittle adjectives. And along with this vow, I leave you with a plea to do the same.

Luiza is a 20-year-old from Brazil who considers herself a citizen of the world. As a teenager she moved to Singapore and now she studies International Business in France.