BOUNDARIES: “NO” IS A COMPLETE SENTENCE.

DAY 3

BOUNDARIES: “NO” IS A COMPLETE SENTENCE.

A woman does not have to smile while saying no.

She does not have to explain it.

She does not have to soften it so that someone else’s ego remains comfortable.

Her silence is not consent.

Her kindness is not consent.

Her friendship is not consent.

Her clothing is not consent.

Her past is not consent.

And having trusted someone yesterday does not give anyone ownership over her today.

A woman’s boundary is not an insult. It is a boundary.

We often teach women how to be careful,

how to dress,

where to go,

whom to trust,

when to return home,

how to avoid danger.

But perhaps we also need to teach society something equally important:

Respect the word "NO"

Teach boys that rejection is not humiliation.

Teach men that affection is never entitlement.

Teach everyone that another person’s body, time, attention and choices belong to them.

Women should not have to become frightened experts in survival just to move through the world.

Safety is not achieved by making women smaller.

Safety begins when we teach people not to cross another person’s boundaries.

A woman should be able to say "NO"

and still walk away safely.

That is not asking for too much.

That is the bare minimum of respect.

#WomenSafety #Consent #RespectBoundaries #NoMeansNo #WomensRights #SafetyWithoutFear