Abuse, Sexual Harassment, finally it's being discussed in open thanks to campaigns like #Metoo which started in the west gained a lot of momentum around Oct 2017 and then again now in Aug/Sept 2018.
Several Facebook posts and stories shared by so many women made me realize that it has been so so so common among women of my age. I think almost 90 % of Girls born in probably 70's and early 80's at least have one such story to tell.
Child Abuse has been there forever in every age, and even now it is prevalent in all the societies, But women born in those two decades are coming out and speaking about it to their friends and peer group. Things that they have never even told their mothers are being discussed, holding back their tears, with choked throats they share their scary, irritating, annoying and most bizarre experiences.
What stands out in these stories is that the girls are at risk not from the outsiders, but the insiders, its the men in the family the ones who might have their daughters may be of same age or younger or a little older doesn't matter. These men in their late 40's and 50's don't even think twice before Molesting a girl in the family because that's the safest. Why Safest? Ah! That's because the girl will never tell her parents, girls in India are fed more with values than food. The point that she is a girl and doesn't have many rights is rubbed in knowingly and unknowingly with actions and words. She should not speak loudly, should Respect elders, Relations have to be maintained.
And then the rules which have always been for the girls only - you should sit adequately, legs always folded, No short clothes (I am talking about our times) they don't look decent , No late nights, No Parties with friends outside home - Values, Values, Values - Which by the way did nothing but made a lot of us weak , fragile and confused.
The stories that I have heard in these past few days are so similar A Mausa, A Mama, An Uncle, A close friend of Parents - they kept Molesting us till we ourselves figured a way out of it.
The most Horrid part of it is that we still meet these relatives and even act as if nothing happened. WHY? Ah! VALUES!
Strangely these men don't seem to remember what they did, or maybe it was just so easy and a 'MAN' thing for them, they never felt it was wrong, it never occurred to them that they are violating somebody's right to say 'NO.'
That's the reason why campaigns like ''Metoo" are needed. They might open a Pandora's box for some, but they surely give confidence to all and make us feel a lot lighter. Being able to talk, write or discuss the horrors of our life with like-minded people helps one to come out of the closet and speak.
Now we have a #MeetooIndia which has taken the movement to the next level.
Several Facebook posts and stories shared by so many women made me realize that it has been so so so common among women of my age. I think almost 90 % of Girls born in probably 70's and early 80's at least have one such story to tell.
Child Abuse has been there forever in every age, and even now it is prevalent in all the societies, But women born in those two decades are coming out and speaking about it to their friends and peer group. Things that they have never even told their mothers are being discussed, holding back their tears, with choked throats they share their scary, irritating, annoying and most bizarre experiences.
What stands out in these stories is that the girls are at risk not from the outsiders, but the insiders, its the men in the family the ones who might have their daughters may be of same age or younger or a little older doesn't matter. These men in their late 40's and 50's don't even think twice before Molesting a girl in the family because that's the safest. Why Safest? Ah! That's because the girl will never tell her parents, girls in India are fed more with values than food. The point that she is a girl and doesn't have many rights is rubbed in knowingly and unknowingly with actions and words. She should not speak loudly, should Respect elders, Relations have to be maintained.
And then the rules which have always been for the girls only - you should sit adequately, legs always folded, No short clothes (I am talking about our times) they don't look decent , No late nights, No Parties with friends outside home - Values, Values, Values - Which by the way did nothing but made a lot of us weak , fragile and confused.
The stories that I have heard in these past few days are so similar A Mausa, A Mama, An Uncle, A close friend of Parents - they kept Molesting us till we ourselves figured a way out of it.
The most Horrid part of it is that we still meet these relatives and even act as if nothing happened. WHY? Ah! VALUES!
Strangely these men don't seem to remember what they did, or maybe it was just so easy and a 'MAN' thing for them, they never felt it was wrong, it never occurred to them that they are violating somebody's right to say 'NO.'
That's the reason why campaigns like ''Metoo" are needed. They might open a Pandora's box for some, but they surely give confidence to all and make us feel a lot lighter. Being able to talk, write or discuss the horrors of our life with like-minded people helps one to come out of the closet and speak.
Now we have a #MeetooIndia which has taken the movement to the next level.
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