She also recalled being called back inside from the courtyard where she was playing football with the boys, because “everything was moving” and it “wasn’t appropriate”.
I’m not at all surprised — our world is still full of stereotypes, taboos and contradictions.
A few months ago, I was wearing a light, floaty, knee-length skirt when a man approached me and told me I looked very seductive.
Clearly, that man doesn’t know the difference between being seductive and sensual.
Clearly, he thinks a woman dresses (or undresses) only and always to seduce, rather than to embrace her own sensuality and sexuality.
Clearly, it never crossed his mind that I might not appreciate his inappropriate and invasive comments.
I think of Marilyn Monroe, who famously said in a film that she kept her underwear in the fridge so it would feel cool when she put it on.
I think of Simone de Beauvoir, of Anaïs Nin, and I laugh at the idea of how a little skirt can be so misunderstood… or wants to be misunderstood? Because if the skirt belongs to a seductive woman (or in reality, simply a sensual one), then that must mean she’s available, right?
I also think about how paradoxical it is that society celebrates famous women with bold, unapologetic sexuality — yet still criticises and sexualises a perfectly ordinary woman who simply isn’t afraid, who doesn’t feel ashamed of her sensuality, and who feels free to express it.
The right to female sexual self-expression has been the focus of many battles and milestones throughout history.
There have been countless movements, campaigns, and legislative reforms aimed at securing a woman’s right to express her sexuality openly, without fear of judgement or restriction.
At a legal level, many countries have introduced laws to protect women from sexual discrimination and to give them full control over their own bodies and their own sexuality.
Yet, despite all of this, deep-rooted prejudices and paradoxes remain.
And while there’s no single “right” way to experience or express one’s sexuality — there is still a long way to go. 💪🫦