Recently, I have heard a few of my liberated male friends express their interest in the warmer weather. This interest is not only in the sunshine, barbecues and outside sports but also in the girls who wear a significantly less amount of clothing. I believe the quote was, “Just a few degrees warmer and the clothes start coming off.” This comment absolutely shocked me. I find it outrageous that boys actually think of this as a major advantage of the nice weather – female objectification. Women have always been viewed as the “fairer” sex, more beautiful than their male counterparts, but it is disgusting when this line is crossed and women are seen as ornaments, shedding clothes for male enjoyment and not for their own comfort. The thought never crossed my mind that the sun-filled skies would mean exciting times ogling men in Speedos. Short skirts and tank tops are not invitations for sexual harassment. They are a clothing choice and an expression of liberation and individuality.

But this objectification goes beyond short shorts and spaghetti straps. In many cultures, there are traditions that are based in objectification and sexual discrimination. Regardless of illegality, these traditions, such as female genital mutilation and the dowry system, are still practiced because the cultures fervently believe the honor of the family lies in the body of the woman. In India, they still use dowry, a fee paid to the groom’s family to marry off their daughters. Dowry is a serious social issue that transcends socio-economic standing. This is objectification in its purest form, commodifying women in the interest of patriarchy. Currently, there are advertisements in India that condemn this practice. Sponsored by The Sisterhood Collective, a female empowerment organization, the posters use vulgar profanity to highlight the obscenity of dowry. Similar ads would never be able to run in the United States but pairing offensive content with disgusting practices can really get the point across. Sexual harassment and discrimination are global epidemics. They even occur on our own campus. Recently, there have been prolific reports of sexual harassment and necessary action is needed to address this problem. As former editorials have highlighted, the sexual harassment policy and computer quiz are not sufficient enough to educate and stop this occurrence at WSU. The issue needs to be examined regularly to eliminate the stigma that is linked with sexual harassment reports. Oftentimes, harassment is accepted and not fought because the recipient does not know what qualifies as inappropriate. Our culture supports sexual discrimination even in casual greetings and action. “What up, bitch?” accompanied by a butt-slap is not an acceptable form of “Hello.” In popular culture, these actions can be seen as a joke, but they should not be seen as endearment. It’s not OK for anyone to be objectified. However, with greetings such as these, and young men on our campus staring down women in summer clothes, sexual discrimination has become inherent in our culture. Institutionalized sexism, as well as racism, is so deeply ingrained in the international psyche that these actions are not even realized as offensive, oppressive or hurtful. Recognition of the problem is the first step to the resolution.