Consequences can stop Male chauvinism

A woman was raped and dumped on the road with serious injuries to die Kids were raped, forced to eat dog excreta and if they threw up they had to eat the vomit

What Edmund Burke has said is proved to be true time and again. Are we doing anything good enough to stop these dastardly acts? Is this what we call a civilized society, where women are treated like animals? These incidents happened the same day. What these sexual abusers don’t understand is it is for animals to mate with just about any animal with or without their consent. According to oxford dictionary human beings are distinguished from other animals by ‘superior mental development’. But these sexual predators prove the statement otherwise. If a woman moves in public this doesn’t mean that she is a public property. “They say that a girl’s dress provokes men to rape. Even if a girl moves naked you have no right to intrude in her privacy” says Indrani Sarkar bureau chief, ANI. Can a girl as little as two years provoke someone to rape her? Don’t tell girls how to dress instead tell men not to rape.
Our society is not sensitive to crime against women. Society reacted to violence on women only after 1978 when a lady Rameeza bee from Hyderabad was gang raped by policemen. This incident aroused such a response that police stations were put on fire. This was followed by Mathura gang rape case in 1979 where again policemen in Maharashtra raped a tribal girl. Whom do we approach when protectors will only turn predators?

The similar uproar was created in December 2012 after a physiotherapy student was gang-raped in Delhi. Is it enough to react once in decades? Patriarchal society is the root for violence on women. Right from childhood girls are told that they are lesser than men. The upbringing of boys is only such that they grow up to become ‘macho’ men. Studies have found that many women breastfeed their sons longer than their daughters. Boys were given VIP treatment whereas girls were often reminded that they are inferior. Boys are brought up by ‘women’, to oppress ‘women’. First and foremost parents should stop being biased. They should teach them to respect women because it is a ‘woman’ who has brought them to this world.

‘Dire consequences’ is the answer to end male chauvinism. We don’t have to be reactive, we need to be proactive. We need to create awareness in slums about the consequences. Even though we have Nirbhaya Act, lay men are not aware of it. They are least bothered about the punishment as they are not aware of it. Create awareness till the ceiling effect is achieved.

The punishment should be so cruel that it should send chills down the spines. Men should dread the thought of abusing women. We don’t have to react only when intestines of a girl comes out. Every minor incident should be a matter of concern. We cannot expect results over night it will take time. We need to drive home that women are human beings and not objects of pleasure.

Legal Rights women must know:

1. You are entitled to free legal help
2. Police cannot refuse to accept your FIR
3. You have the right to privacy while recording your statement
4. You can file your FIR through E-mail
5. Your identity cannot be revealed without your permission
6. You are entitled to protection by your employer
7. A doctor cannot decide whether you are sexually assaulted or not with a verbal statement. A fully written statement is already required
8. When arresting a woman there has to be a woman police officer
9. No arrests can be made after sunset
10. There is no time limit for filing an FIR

Self Defence

AWARENESS: First and foremost you should be aware of your surroundings. When on streets keep all your senses open. Escape wrist grab: If someone grabs you by the wrist, pull your arm toward where their thumb and fingers meet (the weakest point of their grip).

ELEVATOR ATTACK: If you’re entering your apartment building or leaving the office late at night and an unfamiliar person follows you onto the elevator. Press all of the floor buttons. No one will dare to attack you if the door is opening constantly.

Avoid Car-Jacking: While driving keep your windows up and lock all doors. In case of a flat tire in an unfamiliar or crime prone area drive your car on rims.

HOME INVASION: Never ever open door to strangers. Even if someone sneaks in your house start screaming at the top of your voice and start throwing articles to alert neighbors. If you are alone at home always keep your mobile phone with you.