Standing in the bus stand, getting into a bus, walking alone be it in crowded street or a solitary lane every woman faces it day in and day out. Men just come brush against you, grope you in all possible places, pinch you, stare at you awkwardly, and pass comments. Ask men, and they would say we woman ask for it by dressing in a certain way, or walking down a lane or going out late in the night. Is a salwar clad girl, who does not show skin other than her hands, feet and face spared of this? Why should we be scared to walk down a lane, isn’t this world as much ours as it is of the men?
Early morning, finish all the chores at home and head to the office, and there is a conductor waiting to touch your hand, or touch you and say move inside. Can’t he speak without touching? And that touch, my god, just brings chills down your spine. And all we women can do is to give stares or at the most scold him or blast him. And this we can probably do if we are in a crowded place. If it is an isolated area, we can’t dare to think that way even if we know how to fight back, as they could just do anything with the sheer physical strength that they have. Do men ever realize what kind of impact it leaves on a woman?
Every woman goes through this so called eve teasing all through her life irrespective of her age. When someone says eve teasing, people only take into consideration they is a physical abuse and the girl is injured. Isn’t all the mental trauma we undergo not considered as eve teasing? It is very easy for people to say you need to fight back and such things keep happening only because you keep quite. When it happens day in and day out, how long can one fight? This is probably one another thing, we women just learn to “adjust and accept” and move on. Hope men stop doing this! I guess this is where we women have to start to learn to stand up. Well people reading this might think I am sounding feminist. What else can I sound like? But how do we stand up and escape this mental trauma is still something I can’t find an answer to.
3 comments:
Frankly I do not know the answer, just that I have to stand up to all these people and let them know that they can't get away with everything......
Anagha, got here from your FB profile. Had to comment on this one. Why do you sound apologetic for being feminist? What is wrong about being feminist? Eve teasing is wrong. Plain and simple. And no women don't ask for it by dressing in a particular way or walking home late at night. As the middle aged auntie in the bus who gets groped as well. Men who eve tease are perverts. No ifs or buts about it. I have had my issues with eve teasing growing up and I totally get what you are saying with regards to fighting back. We should put our safety as top priority. Perhaps you could slap the wrist that touches you in the bus. Or poke right back or stamp real hard. People who eve tease usually get the message. I know there is no real solution to the problem other than raising awareness and being an advocate. Perhaps the next generation will grow up feeling free to be themselves instead of having a victim mentality.
Sorry for a long comment but this issue is something that bothers me a lot.
Lakshmi totally agree with you on this... I have kicked, slapped, pinched, elbowed these kind of creatures. Yet they just walk off as if nothing has happened which is even more irritating.
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