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"The truth will set you free. But first, it will piss you off" opined the famous feminist Gloria Steinem. And I cannot agree more.
It's the same old story every single day. The Home Ministry's National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in 2007 showed that every two hours a woman is raped, every hour one woman is molested, every half an hour someone is sexually harassed in India.
If you been living here long enough, you'd also know that eve teasing is something that a woman has to contend with every freaking minute!
You step on the street and there he is; the roadside romeo droning the latest Bollywood number and checking you out while buying a matchbox at the nearby paan shop. You obviously look into the opposite direction for a rickshaw acting like you didn’t hear him or pretending that you don't understand his blasphemous aati-kya-khandala-type comments. As you bend down a little to get inside the rickshaw you are almost certain that the driver is trying to sneak a peek you know what!
Once you get down at station you invariably get nudged or groped even if its 7 o'clock in the morning. And DON'T even get me started on the horrors of travelling during the peak hour. You're butt-pinched, elbow-nudged, shoulder-brushed… and all you can do is utter an icy 'a**hole' under your breath because you're thinking WHAT'S THE POINT?
The point is, this is the story of every girl and every woman living in an urban city. The point is if you don't stand up, the groping, the whistling, and the sleazy comments will NEVER stop. The point is with each passing day there will be more perpetrators and hence, more victims like you and me. The point is eve-teasing is not a victimless crime. It has resulted in suicides!
Here's how you can create a revolution and stop playing victim.
1. Shout!
Not like Sunny Deol in a court room drama! (Although you secretly imagine the perpetrator grilled in the same manner). Raise your voice sternly and loud enough to be heard by a few people around you. The creep will lose his face and you will gain your grace!
2. Be alert
Okay, I get it that you love your iPod and talking over the phone but don't be so engrossed that you're totally oblivious to your surroundings.
3. Face the stalker head on
Now feel free to shout like Sunny Deol. That creep definitely has some audacity and if you don't make a noise his impudence will only increase. Making a scene might not be your thing, but you'll be surprised at how the crowd will voluntarily stand up for you.
4. Two's a company...
...and three is definitely not a crowd when it comes to travelling. See if you can find a friend or a colleague who stays in the same area to travel with you. So what if you have to wait a few extra minutes here and there, it's better to be safe than sorry.
5. Weapon of defense
If you always come late from work, if you stay in a secluded area or if you're going to an unfamiliar place, carry pepper spray, chilly powder or a laser / pen knife for your safety. And most importantly a PHONE. Don't forget help is always a phone call away.
No matter how much it's written about, how much NGOs rally, how much the activists speak…unless YOU stand up, they will continue to be half-hearted martyrs to a DEAD cause. So remember girls, when men ERR, go GRR!
source:idiva
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