We women are branded out-spoken. But why we do not utter a word, when for the first time our neighbor or a stranger touches us inappropriately in the park. We run home trembling, go to our room, lock ourselves and cry without making a noise. Where do we lose our voice when an unknown man tried to molest us when alone on the road apart from eve-teasing? Instead of voicing-out, we stop stepping out alone outside.
When we visit our relatives, and an uncle touches us inappropriately, we go numb. When our partner forces himself on us against our will or consent, we keep silent and smile as if all is perfect. When a group of boys makes a remark about our body parts, when they stare at us with lusty eyes we women lose our voices.
This is a touch that all the women reading this are familiar with, one that comes without warning or sound, and how disgusted it makes you feel. But we don’t say anything and choose to stay quiet. When someone stalks us, follows us around with lusty signs, when someone texts us on social media and shares indecent content, we ignore them or delete our social media accounts.
Dear women, don’t you want to break these hands that touched you inappropriately? Don’t you feel like grabbing the guy in the crowd and beat him up?
So next time someone grabs you just gather all your courage and raise your voice against it. When your spouse forces himself upon you ask him to stop! Feminist Taranjeet Kaur says, “When someone touches you without your consent just make noise, and let that noise be heard.”
The problem is our silence is perceived as consent. India recorded an average of 87 cases daily and overall 4,05,861 cases of crime against women during the year 2019, according to the reported statistics. Are we in the state of mind to wait until every woman is violently raped before expressing our outrage?
However, the mental agony we go through each and every single day is never reported. It’s not even considered a crime, and the issues are taken lightly. Further, we are conditioned to keep these things hidden and never allow them to come out.
We must remember that the problem begins due to our silence, and waiting till the end to unmute yourselves. As in real life, no hero comes to save us it’s high time we need to take a stand for ourselves and become a woman with a strong voice. Be a heroine of your life, not a victim. Your change your own life. Let us make society a better place for women by breaking the wall of silence.
Photo Courtesy- Czu-Czu-PL
