"Challenge Accepted" is Just a Fad—Women Empowerment and Protection is a Constant Actual Fight

Hatred against women is an actual societal issue. We have learned from our history class that, in ancient times women weren't allowed to learn or vote and were merely instruments of reproduction. Decades of empowerment has brought women into spotlight—women involved in technology, science, space exploration, commerce, leadership.

But in many parts of the world, women are still belittled. Women are objects of physical abuse and harassment, and even death. Not because they are criminals, but merely because they are women. Because women are asserting themselves to speak and be recognized, because of the potential of women to spark up change in this macho society, women are discarded. Not just by death, but also by cancellation and removal of rights.

I just recently learned that this black-and-white trend is supposed to show support to the fallen women in Turkey, that it is supposed "to show that one day, it could be [your] picture that is plastered across news outlets." But, among all the Challenge Accepted photos you have seen this week, how many of them ever mentioned the real issue? With the volume of empty photos in the trend, the meaning of the movement is being depleted, lost, minimized. The real meaning is being buried and overwhelmed.

"Challenge Accepted" is a trend nowadays, apparently to "promote women empowerment".

I'm just wondering, can this women empowerment advocacy really manifest in you, if you are anti-divorce just for the sake of making facade of a failed marriage?

Can this advocacy really manifest in you, if you believe that contraceptives and family planning medicine are immoral just because your religion tells you they kill babies even before they are conceived?

Can it really manifest in you, if you keep pulling female leaders down, just for the sake of exalting your male leaders, because you think women are incapable of sparking development?

All of these patriarchal families; all of these traditional practices; saying women should shut up and dress neatly in order for them to be respected; all of these tolerance on blaming sexual harassment and domestic violence victims; all of these hatred against women choosing the male side, and men converting into females, and biological girls loving other biological girls; all of these comments asking women why they got fat or got skinny as if one of those is the ultimate description of beauty; all of these questions as to why women are not yet married even if they are in their thirties, as if women are made only to become housewives and mothers and cannot devote to a career for herself...

Can you really say it manifests in you, just because you post a monochrome photo of yourself and acknowledge the people who messaged you privately?

I am not against the movement. It has been around for quite a time—popping up and fading out, then coming back again. The Challenge Accepted might just be an "own little way" of promoting women empowerment. I am just saying that, if you have the voice to speak and the strength to actually do something, then produce statements and actions that actually aims to manifest into your immediate community.

There is no actual challenge in posting a captionless photo. That's small fry. A challenge should show that a fear has been overturned. If you want something to change, release some courage bigger than your fears. That's empowerment.

So, make those photos stepping stones. Don't just stop there. Evaluate the conventions and traditions. Engage in discussions. Be inclusive. Speak and act. Catalyze change. Empower the society. Empower the world.

In my honest opinion.

Resurface the real meaning of "Challenge Accepted".

This is NOT a rant against men. This is NOT a rant against women who post their photos. This is a call to return the constructive meaning of the movement. This is a reverberation that women empowerment and protection is a constant actual fight.

Captionless monochrome photos are misleading. If you are really up to a challenge, drop your statements. Show your advocacies. Spread awareness and information. Elaborate your points. Educate people. Concretize your ideas. Be more than just a bandwagoner. Explicitly tell what you are representing. Upgrade your photos. They are more than just for appreciation. Make them speak.

#kadınaşiddetehayır #istanbulsözleşmesiyaşatır #challengeaccepted #womensupportingwomen #stopfemicide #stopdomesticviolence #stoprapeculture #stopvictimblaming #stopmisogyny