I Think: We need to focus on the ‘why’ of rape
Anusha Suresh, entrepreneur, Delhi
I am a news person. I prefer e-news. The most recent incident I read about was the rape of 125 women in Sudan. This was the most heart-wrenching news I’ve heard in the recent past. My reaction was a mixture of confusion and rage. We call ourselves a superior species!
Rape has always been part of our culture. It’s just that people have started to talk and create awareness about it now. People have now realised that rape is something serious and light has to be thrown on it.
The system of patriarchy has been our norm. Men think that they won’t be questioned by anyone and they tend to continue practicing it. This is because they think they are superior beings. This is where gender inequality comes into the picture.
Female infanticide results in an increase in the ratio of men. This is one of the instigators for rape. In Haryana, the male population is more compared to that of women. So, when men reach marital age, they resort to many radical solutions to find a bride: some have kidnapped women from the neighbouring village for the sake of marriage. This eventually leads to rapes and gang rapes.
I do not think men realise the enormity of rape. When one of my friends interviewed a rapist in prison, his explanation was that he did not realise what he was doing at that point of time and was not thinking of the outcome. Men just assume that it is a way to show their superiority over women. They also have the misconception that when a women lives on her own, it is a sign given by her to approach her.
Men from villages don’t understand the difference they see in cities. When they see city women partying, returning home after dawn and hanging out with friends, they think it is an invitation. That doesn’t mean only men from villages tend to do such acts. Even well-educated men act the same way, or even more brutally, when it comes to this matter.
Men face sexual harassment, too. But most of them are afraid to speak out. They think it may ruin their reputation.
Media has to report what has happened to people, but what is happening is the other way round. Instead of reporting what has been done, they make their own mixture of stories to gain TRPs.
If I were a journalist, I would try to throw light on why rape is happening. I would leave open-ended questions for people to think about. Statements and reports on rape have to provoke thought.
This is one in a series of articles that NewsTracker published from 25 November to 10 December as part of the #16Days activism, aligned with the UN’s International Day for Ending Violence Against Women. This piece appeared on Day 15.
