With the #MeToo campaign going on nowadays, it’s just not enough to recount your sexual abuse stories, it’s also important to make people aware about the mental and emotional abuse a woman goes through because of such incidents.
I come from a family where girls are treated as equals (my voice and views are valuable in my family). My parents support me and do not interfere with my personal choices like most conservative families in our country do.
Despite being a part of an open minded family, as a young woman there are problems that I face on a daily basis. Problems that I have no control over.
- Problem with an uncle who stares at me when I go for jogging every morning or even when I’m just standing in my balcony.
- Problem with the people who constantly judge me for what I wear or who I hang out with.
- Problem with the relatives who constantly ask my parents – when is your daughter getting married? (The answer is- not until the people stop asking for dowry or get rid of the age-old discriminatory customs).
- Problem with the people who can’t get over their obsession with my love life (just because he is from another community/caste/religion) even when my parents have accepted him.)
- Problem with men who keep staring at my bare legs and arms while travelling in metro.
- Problem with men who try to copy a feel in a crowded public transport.
- Problem with the people who sit at a corner shop everyday, and pass lewd comments for no reason.
- Problem with my male friend’s male friend, who keeps pushing my friend to let him talk to me.
- Problem with my colleague who keeps asking me out for coffee even when I have turned him down -because I don’t want to be judged by other colleagues.
All these people who make us uncomfortable with their behaviour are not really committing criminal offenses, but that doesn’t mean they should be allowed to get away with such actions every time. Don’t you think we all should intervene as a society to put a stop to this? Instead of asking young girls and women to adjust or compromise, and putting the onus on them to keep their family’s honour intact, why can’t we raise our boys to be better human beings? Why are we okay with women living like this? Feeling suppressed, choked and restless in every situation. What happens to our right to equality?
People say- ‘change should start with your family’, my family is really supportive and open minded. So, what about the change on society’s part?
It is important to be empathetic rather than just showing sympathy towards women. #MeToo will get stronger only when people stand in solidarity with victims and demand justice.