In Germany, a woman is killed every day. That’s proof the sexism we all experience is far from ‘harmless’ | Fatma Aydemir
The daily insults and humiliations women are subjected to here are part of a continuum of violence. When will politicians act? What is the thing I do 360 times a year – in other words, almost every day? It’s not that easy to say. I probably cook, if warming up leftovers counts. I put my kid to bed, when I’m not doing any work events that collide with bedtime. Almost every day I have the urge to pick up a book, and almost every day I fail. I do my skincare routine, if it’s not one of those depressing days when I refuse to look in the mirror. I buy myself a pack of cigarettes. I call my friends. I laugh. I feel bad for not having quit smoking long ago. I take a walk.But most definitely, I’ll be humiliated by a cisgender man shouting a slur at me on the bus, belittling my work, touching me without consent or making inappropriate remarks about my body – and I’ll choose to keep quiet about it. Peace of mind over a demand for basic decency.Fatma Aydemir is a Berlin-based author, novelist, playwright and a Guardian Europe columnistDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...
The daily insults and humiliations women are subjected to here are part of a continuum of violence. When will politicians act?
What is the thing I do 360 times a year – in other words, almost every day? It’s not that easy to say. I probably cook, if warming up leftovers counts. I put my kid to bed, when I’m not doing any work events that collide with bedtime. Almost every day I have the urge to pick up a book, and almost every day I fail. I do my skincare routine, if it’s not one of those depressing days when I refuse to look in the mirror. I buy myself a pack of cigarettes. I call my friends. I laugh. I feel bad for not having quit smoking long ago. I take a walk.
But most definitely, I’ll be humiliated by a cisgender man shouting a slur at me on the bus, belittling my work, touching me without consent or making inappropriate remarks about my body – and I’ll choose to keep quiet about it. Peace of mind over a demand for basic decency.
Fatma Aydemir is a Berlin-based author, novelist, playwright and a Guardian Europe columnist
Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...
