Let me tell you a story. It is the story of a woman who loved her beer and make-up and took life as it came.
It was new year’s evening and she hated to admit it, but she was a bit drunk. It was one of those glittery nights when you feel you’re safe out there and nothing could go wrong. But she was wrong.
It was a dark alley she was crossing, when they chased her. Unarmed and alone, the only weapon she had was to run and run for her life till she reached home. Sweating and panting, when asked about it, she told them what happened. And all she could remember hearing was, “Learn to behave like a woman. Do not step out after dark.”
Now, you see the problem here? Apparently, a rape happens every 20 minutes in India. But why is it that most of them go unreported? It’s because we are told not to. It comes down to the age old stigma of “izzat” and “khan-daan” and what not. But nothing near to the fact that we have faced humongous amount of despair and they need to be punished.
Nobody will tell our men to treat women properly. It is the woman’s job not to step out after dark, not to dress in skinny clothes or maybe, just exist in the way they want to. You see the problem here? It is always our job and our fault. Our very family teaches us that and we are scorned for being less womanly just in case we tend to be “equal”. It is funny how the Constitution guarantees equality but still we are deprived in every way possible.
No, it is not all men. There are of course, better people than the men chasing her down. It is the reason why we still have a balanced society. But what I am pointing at is the approach which needs to be changed.
This is my story, which can be yours too. Before it is too late, let us just do our bit to change what needs to be changed and be better parents tomorrow, who teach their kids to treat every human well.