Sunday, August 13, 2006

Feminism - Part II

Look at the newspaper in the morning. Have you noticed how frequent it is that we read of a rape case? Moreover, have you noticed how the reports about rapes have slowly moved from being splashed all over the front page to becoming a tiny article squeezed in somewhere on the third or fourth page? It's almost as if such reports have become commonplace in the eyes of whoever it is that decides the importance of various newspaper articles.

When you do read about a rape case, it horrifies you (at least, I'm assuming it does, because if it doesn't, then you've got to be the worst kind of sadist there is). Even so, there will always be a section of society that tries to, if not outrightly justify the heinousness of the crime, explain how it is actually the fault of the girl that it happened. They talk about the way the girl dresses, what she was doing at the time, who she was with at the time - anything to try and lull the general public into believing that the... what's a polite word to use here?... ass who committed the crime was almost forced to do it by some temptress.

Well, forgive me if I sound crazy, but I really beg to differ from such utter hogwash. No matter how a woman dresses, behaves, or lives her freaking life gives any man the right to rape her. I once read about a prostitute who was raped, and the perpetrator was acquited because after all, she was a prostitute. I think that's unfair. I might not condone her choice of... uh... career, but that still doesn't give a man the right to force himself on her. No matter what the situation, there has to be mutual consent, for crying out loud.

Then there are of course those philosphers who talk about how it's the short skirt, the tight jeans, the low-necked tops, and what-nots worn by the victims that are too blame. The guy's fault? Of course not! I suppose they've never heard of child sexual abuse, where half the kids aren't old enough to be able to tempt the ass? I suppose they've never heard of marital rape, where often the woman doesn't even know what's happening to her? I suppose they've never read those reports which categorically state that a majority of rape victims are usally dressed in staid salwar kameezes?

If you're a girl/woman living in Delhi, it's practically impossible to walk down a road alone and feel safe at the same time. You know there will be at least one guy out there who will leer at you. It's a way of life most of us have got used to by now. I sometimes think I'm lucky to have just been eve-teased badly a few times (dressed in salwar kameezes, mind you!) and not raped. But then the feminist in me comes out and wonders why we should have to put up with it in the first place. Why cant we feel safe walking on the road in our own colony? Why should we constantly have to worry about what might heppen if we have to use public transport? Why can't two girls walk down to a dhaba at two in the night without one of them getting pulled into a car and gangraped?

Honestly, all this talk of equality coming about between men and women? It's utter nonsense. Women have always got a raw deal, and I really don't see it changing anytime soon.

3 comments:

R said...

this is known as promptness.

Looking in the paper, no it doesn't horrify me, but it makes me feel sad. Not horrified because its become so commonplace now. So I'm utterly desensitised. But it really REALLY pisses me off that I live in a place where I can't walk down the street without being gawked at and it pisses me off even more that I have involuntarily considered what I would do in such a situation. Why do these thoughts have to come to mind? See now, if I want to get out of here, I think this makes for a solid reason.

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Anonymous said...

I can smell the reason for pressing me to read ... the odour(or stink) comes out of that Uma Shankar class ....

hmmm ... its mixed feelings after reading it .... in agreement to most of it, disagree to a few thoughts expressed !!

wait and watch out for the cover page (and the editorials, along with the pages in between) once a "celebrity" is raped ....

have u heard of men being molested and (wo)man-handled ??

i still believe that short skirts, low skirts et al are an signs of openness and being 'bindass';they certainly to invite guys to try out their lucks ....

plz do not read between the lines; i strongly condemn (sexual)abuses and rapes once the other party (likewise for guys if they happen to be in the receiving end)shows his/her disinterest.

bottomline: rapes, no matter against who, is obnoxious;however, when the evil has already creeped into the society, at least try to reduce yr chances by taking some precautions.

Anonymous said...

Girls , Ladies let me metion get rapped everyday by men , its like a VISULA RAPE that tempts them to do that in actual.

i wud agree with the comments by the person above me,yes mini skirts do kinda give the worng picture to the men around..

A Good Example wud be Rakhi Sherawat who presents her self to be very Comfortable With almost No clothes (let me metion i am not complaining )which probably temted Mica to have a swing at her lips.

BUT YES THAT DOES NOT TAKE AWAY THE BRUTALITY OF THE CRIME AND THAT PERSON COMMITING SUCH A CRIME SHOLUD BE SENT TO ARTIC WITH NO CLOTHES AND SHOULD BE MOLESTED BY GREAT WHITE BEARS EVERY SECOND...(i still think i am being generous to him )