Earlier this month, Shakira was performing her newest single at a nightclub in Miami when she noticed a man filming up her dress. After she was made aware of the situation, she reproached him and then left the stage.
Sadly, this act of harassment has a name for it. “Upskirting” is the act of taking a photo underneath someone’s skirt or dress without their knowledge or consent. While upskirting is now making its way into headlines, it is important to note that this has been an ongoing issue for so many women since the creation of the smartphone.
As if women don’t have to fear men in public enough, smartphones have broadened the range of ways that creeps can make women feel vulnerable and uncomfortable. The time or place doesn’t seem to stop men from non-consensually recording women in public. Even a celebrity performing on stage is not safe from weirdos.
You’re probably thinking, this has got to be illegal right? Funny enough upskirting is not illegal in many U.S. states! New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington, Hawaii and Florida have passed laws that make public upskirting a criminal offense along with a few others. In states like Georgia, however, it is still legal. Just another way our government has failed to protect women in this country, which is upsetting but unfortunately not surprising.
For a moment let’s consider a hypothetical situation where the roles are reversed. A man walks into a gym, a grocery store or maybe even a doctor’s office in shorts that are a little form fitting. After minding his own business and going about his shopping, working out, etc., he notices a woman very close to him who appears to have her smartphone pointed directly at his genital area. Never once does it cross his mind that maybe he shouldn’t have worn those shorts in public, and he goes to ask for assistance to get this creep of a woman out of the establishment he is in.
If this were the reality there would most certainly be laws enacted in every state to make this inappropriate filming illegal. Women are immediately to blame when something sexual and inappropriate happens to them. Were they tempting the man with their short skirt? Were they really drunk? Are they just exaggerating? Are they absolutely positive that someone was filming them without their consent? No one would dare ask these questions to a man.
I wish there was a positive end to this long discussion on women being harassed in public but there isn’t. This country needs to do better in enacting laws to protect women. I am tired of being scared when I leave my house.
oparisi@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of @shakira, instagram