"InstaBad Magazine explores the unequal limitations set for women worldwide, highlighting various laws and restrictions that hinder their freedom to do WHAT MEN CAN EFFORTLESSLY ACHIEVE."
1. Decline someone from the opposite gender without fearing for one's safety.
• As per Detroit police reports, a man fatally shot Mary Spears, 27, in October after she turned down his advances. She was a mother of three.
• Elizabeth "Lizzi" Marriott from Westborough, Massachusetts, was tragically raped and murdered last year by Seth Mazzaglia after she rejected his sexual advances.
• In South Carolina, a woman had a bowling ball hurled at her head for declining a drink offered by a man.
• Notably, there exists a Tumblr page named When Women Refuse, solely dedicated to chronicling real-life incidents that occur when a woman turns down a man.
2. Drive a car legally.
• Within Saudi Arabia, the prohibition for women to operate vehicles exists. However, in the last couple of years, women have challenged this restriction by sharing videos and images of themselves driving cars as an act of advocacy within the #Women2Drive movement.
3. Playing sports.
• Following nationwide outcry, an 11-year-old female football player, initially removed from her local Catholic Youth Organization team due to her gender, was eventually permitted to resume playing.
• Dutee Chand, an Indian teenager, faced exclusion from both the Commonwealth and Asian Games due to her hyperandrogenism, characterized by elevated testosterone levels. She's presently challenging this ban in court.
• Sporting limitations aren't exclusive to women; there are also restrictions preventing women from actively participating in sports. Iranian laws, for instance, prohibit women from entering sports stadiums. Recently, Ghoncheh Ghavami and other demonstrators were arrested in Tehran for advocating their right to access a stadium.
4. Stroll along the street without the worry of facing catcalling, harassment, or potential danger.
• Earlier this year, Stop Street Harassment conducted a survey involving 2,000 individuals in the US, uncovering that 65% of women encountered street harassment. Among them, 23% reported experiencing sexual touching, 20% being followed, and 9% coerced into sexual acts.
• A study by the End Violence Against Women Coalition in 2012 revealed that 43% of young women in London (aged 18-34) faced sexual harassment in public spaces. These studies exemplify the widespread prevalence of street harassment.
• Concurrently, the Stop Telling Women To Smile initiative is combatting gender-based street harassment using impactful posters.
5. Voting.
• Within Saudi Arabia and Vatican City, women are prohibited from participating in voting. Saudi Arabia has announced plans for women to be eligible to vote in municipal elections starting in 2015.
• Reports indicate that certain sections of state laws in the US disproportionately impact women voters, particularly women of color.
6. Dress in any attire of their choice, whenever they desire.
• Whether it's a burka, a skirt considered "too short," tight trousers, or the disturbing question "...but what were you wearing?" posed to sexual assault survivors, daily observations reveal the constant restrictions and judgments imposed on women's clothing choices.
7. Consume alcohol freely or leave beverages unattended without the need for constant vigilance or caution.
• Most counsel directed at women to prevent rape or sexual assault revolves around advising them "not to consume excessive alcohol" and "always watch your drink." Jessica Valenti highlights in The Guardian that these warnings suggesting avoiding alcohol to evade assault convey a clear message to women: any mishap will be viewed as their fault, shifting blame even in the face of crime.
