Not Just an Object

I am not just an object. This sounds obvious, right? Well here in Colombia, it isn’t. When I go out I usually wear jeans and a t-shirt and avoid wearing anything showing too much skin, such as shorts or tank tops. I want to feel covered because the looks I get make me feel like I am being undressed and abused without my consent. The unwanted male gaze I experience every day makes me upset and angry, and I am unsure how to address the looks and remarks that I and every female unwantedly get. I ignore them so as not to provoke a fight and so that I don’t acknowledge the distasteful words and stares coming towards me. I am not sure why men harass women on the street and what they think they will gain by acting in such a perverted manner, but such rampant machismo turned to harassment leaves a grey cloud over Colombia’s beautiful landscape.