Women And Rapes: A Brief Overview

The Death of humanity: Rape 

"She wasn't supposed to board the shared auto", "she shouldn't have stayed out so late", "she shouldn't have consumed alcohol", "she shouldn't have worn such clothes", "oh she was asking for it", "she shouldn't have taken that job", this is what people say after getting to know about rape cases. If this victim blaming wasn't enough, they have the courage to go another mile saying, "It's okay, such things happen" or "chow mein causes rapes". How lower would we fall? How cheaper would we go? There hasn’t been a day when there were no news about rapes in the papers. Every day, turn the pages and you will find more and more news about these soul-crushing and inhuman crimes, and yet we are okay with it, because these aren’t happening to us. Right?

Hush, let's not talk about something so obnoxious! This is what people quote when this topic comes up, or they give strange looks. When even the word 'rape' makes them raise eyebrows, then why don't we curb this evil? After all, let's accept the fact that the rapists do not arrive here from Mars; they are the ones walking amongst us.

It isn't the ill-fate of the victims for being raped, but it is the monstrosity and rotten mentality of the rapists for taking such an atrocious and heinous step. It isn’t the pride and prestige of the victim that gets ruined, but of the predator, losing all the dignity and honour, while carrying out this treacherous act.

Women

“The world is created through a mother (women’s) womb, we are the nature and we are the nurturer, yet we are the ones used and harmed” – Dr. Lopamudra Priyadarshini.

Once I witnessed while being an interviewer, where the interviewee was asked about his work in the regards to empowerment of women. He replied, “We give empowerment to women, so that they can come up in the society.” I asked myself, do we women really need any empowerment from the society? Are we some sort of aliens who do not belong here? What exactly do they mean by this empowerment and why do we need it from men? Who exactly gave men the authority to ‘offer’ empowerment to women? While we are the ones who brought them into this world, shouldn’t this be more like the other way around?

Something as simple as sharing public transport is a part of daily routine and the society,so we all have the equal right to access them in a dignified manner. Then why such illogical statements, “She should not have used shared auto or she should not have taken the bus alone”? So, where do the things lack that we come across such horrendous news every now and then?

It’s my firm believe that women play an important role in creating and moulding the society. Being mothers, we must educate our children to respect all the creations. Furthermore, the mother of a son has greater responsibility to create a change by educating her son to respect all women, including his mother. As home is the first school of the child and child’s basic moral education starts at home. None other than the mother herself is the first teacher to her child. It becomes very important that she must be educated enough to impart these teachings of respecting everyone irrespective of gender. Many women in semi-urban societies may not be exposed to such enlightened thoughts and may not have such formal education, which indeed affects the way they teach their kids. But, basic manners, etiquettes and respect can be taught to their kids. If the mother fails to do so in the family, due to lack of education or any reason, the role of schools and formal education should kick in; teaching the wrongs and rights, while nurturing the young and innocent minds in the right direction.

I came across a great initiative in a Kenyan school called ‘No Means No’, where the students are taught about their duties towards the society. Here, girls are taught to fight for themselves against any sexual assault under assault prevention training. The boys are trained to understand and fight for the rights of the girls under ‘Your Moment of Truth’ and about the fundamentals of equal space, where all beings of God live in love and harmony. The world should take a cue from Kenya: empowering Girls and teaching men not to rape.

The only way forward may be where we all men and women must understand that God’s every creation is to care and nurture. A woman not only should care for her own child, but also for all the children of God, and specifically women surrounding them like daughters, daughter in laws and sister in laws. This would give strength to all women to fight together and to men it would give a sense of understanding of equal space.

I ask to all “If a mother’s womb has not discriminated us and also God has not, then who are we humans to discriminate amongst genders”?

We all have to rise above these petty blame games and start realising the ultimate truth and go down to analyse and act upon this.

As a daughter, mother, wife, colleague, friend and a social motivator, I look at every individual to think and analyse this sensitive yet grave issue, while empowering self and the surroundings in a manner that we all can live free, as we were born. Let’s all give a thought to save our future generation from this heinous act by giving them an inclusive learning.

For we are the creation of the Lord and created in the image of his reflection, let’s do not indulge in the sins of the evil. ‘We’ are one and it is ‘us’ who can make this world a better place to live in. 

Rise Above.