The world was rudely awakened to face
the reality and horror of rape after centuries of feigning ignorance, in the
wake of the Delhi gang-rape in 2012. The brutal crime that eventually led to
the death of the 23-year old physiotherapy student set the sirens blaring in every
corner of the nation. While the crime itself has been going on for centuries,
this particular case gained global attention, sending shockwaves through the local
urban community that shattered their illusion of a safe neighbourhood. As
reports of the vile act went viral, India faced a public outrage never before
seen following a crime of this nature. Thousands took to protest on the streets
as the Asian giant faced massive global pressure to bring the perpetrators to
justice, which was eventually done in a historically quick verdict, passed in a
fast-track court, highly unusual in the country’s notoriously slow-paced
judiciary system.
As
the heavily patriarchal nation came under criticism for the way rape cases are
handled and the patriarchal mindset that largely discriminates the fairer
gender, the fact is, this is not a crime limited to a single country. All over
the world, women are subject to a multitude of sexual violence, with rape topping
the list. Despite constant criticism from the West in regards to women
empowerment and gender equality, the U.S. has the highest number of rape cases
in the world, according to a report on top ten countries with highest number of
reported rape crimes, released by an online newspaper in January 2014. Nor
surprisingly India holds second position followed by a shocking list of
first-world countries like United Kingdom, Canada (fifth place), Germany(sixth
place), Sweden (seventh place) and Belgium(ninth place). Thailand comes at the
bottom of the list while Mexico appears in the third position.
These
are not just numbers making up statistics. They are lives. Real lives of women
destroyed by a vile act that rips them off their dignity and confidence. Lives of
someone’s mother, sister or daughter being violated as the arms of justice fall
limp around them while we watch on, helpless. Or are we? What can a common
person do when a woman is treated like a fish on a dinner plate, devoured off
its meat to be left with just bones that end up in the trash? As JFK famously asked
in his inaugural speech as President of the U.S., “Ask not what your country
can do for you, ask what you can do for you country.” Exactly. Ask. Ask what
you can do to prevent rape and offer support to the victims.
The key is education and instilling awareness among members of the
society, specifically the male majority. This is more of a psychological war
that aims to completely change the mindset of people who have deeply entrenched
cultural views that dictates sexual entitlement and treatment of women as
lesser beings. This may seem like a job for human rights activists or members
of a feminist movement but it really is a responsibility of each civilized
citizen of the world, men and women alike. Start teaching the men to respect
and treat women properly instead of sending tips to women on how to avoid rape.
Start educating young boys on women empowerment instead of discouraging young
girls from having a career. Start offering support and guidance to the victims
of rape instead of fuelling the social stigma that blames them for being
victims. Education, like charity, starts at home.
Obviously we are also in dire need for more stringent laws and stronger
form of punishment for rapists that will send out a stern message to any
would-be perpetrators. Maybe I imagine a tad too much, but probably a
combination of the capital punishment, stoning and castration could do the
trick. The governments and lawmakers around the world need to get out of the
comfort zone and tackle the bull by the horns. Law making and passing of bills
are useless if there are no proper implementations, and for that we need more
real and courageous leaders who will put a foot in the door and get the wheel
running.
This
battle is definitely not a cakewalk but I am willing to put my existing
hanging-by-a-thread hope in humanity that a collective effort would put an end
to this crime. As the late Edmund Burke wrote, “The
only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”.
Now is a good time to question which side you are in.
