I think that everyone should go through an experience that pushes your boundaries of normalcy, even if it makes you feel uncomfortable in the moment. As white women in Ghana, the other girls in my program along with myself have all experienced some level of verbal harassment from Ghanaian men. For me, it was the introductions at work mainly where men would tell me I’m beautiful, that they want to take me home or to marry me. It was obvious that this blatant disrespect was more to impress my other coworkers than it was actually being serious. I often found myself making it into a joke when explaining it to my friends later, probably to make it less real because it was happening to us all in the given moment. At no point did I feel endangered by these threats, but it was awkward and uncomfortable.
However looking back now, it was truly a learning experience. Do I wish it didn’t happen? Yes of course I do because no woman should ever be treated that way. But by these experiences I was able to get a little taste of how a lot of women are treated around the world, especially in developing countries.
These experiences allowed me to appreciate where I come from and gain an understanding of cultures unlike your own. After this trip I am a firm believer that knowledge is power. Living in your own little bubble of a world is incredibly limiting. I’ve realized that as far as Ghana might seem, the world really isn’t that big and I plan to continue learning and explore even more.
