#metoo
Recently, a new trend has started where women, and some men too, are posting a status on their social media profiles, using the hashtag “metoo”. A lot of people are wondering what it’s about while most of them know it. Today’s post is about the new viral trend #metoo, a few of my experiences and why this trend is worth the hype.
Yesterday, while I was scrolling through my Facebook profile, I came across a status shared by a friend of mine “Me too”. There was a description along with it, which goes like:
If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote “Me too” as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem. #MeToo
And suddenly I was on my “memory lane” to the times- when old uncles standing behind me would fall purposely on me just to have that touch of the skin; when people standing beside me on the bus would make use of every chance they got to grope me; when just a graze of their hand on my breasts gave them a feeling of satisfaction while I felt disgusted, insecure and scared; when the onlookers smiled with the pedophiles at the plight of a scared kid in Delhi. Those uncles would have been around my Grandfather’s age but no shame, not even a glimpse of it ever touched their faces. All this became just a normal everyday thing for me, and all I did against it was merely collapsing myself so much into me that no one could touch me subtly. I wish I had the courage to do more that time, to raise my voice, to be less scared, to have SHOUTED! I was living it again, all of it. The worst part of this was, I could not share it with anyone for the fear of being caged inside the 4 walls. I wanted to soar, and so I had to bear it. And what I have mentioned is something I can mention publicly without feeling humiliated. There have been worse instances which I might not even be able to put into words. Anyway, that’s a scar I’ll always carry with me but I do not wish it upon anyone else. And thus, metoo comes into picture, if it can “fall on deaf ears” and force them to take a decision, pass a law.
Why this is important? Because people think and I quote(F.R.I.E.N.D.S reference)
It’s not that common, it doesn’t happen to everyone and it isn’t a big deal.
NOT TRUE!
They don’t know the gravity of the situation, how deeply enrooted these instances in our society are. #Metoo is a beginning, just sharing 2 words makes other victims know that they’re not alone, we’re all in this together! At present, the notion of our society is that it only happens to girls who don’t “dress well” or are “too modern” or eat a certain kind of cuisine! But it actually happens with everyone, the acceptance of it will make people realise that it’s much more common than it seems. You know the amazing thing to notice here is, that ironically we don’t even find it weird anymore. It happens, we ignore and move on with our lives, which should not be the case. It’s a much bigger problem than it looks to the society. It is important that everyone knows that it doesn’t happen to special people or a certain caste, gender, community. Anyone is liable to becoming a prey and anyone in your life can be a vulture waiting to find their prey alone one day.
We should speak up! We should unite! We should bring the change society needs! We should raise our voices! We should give a voice to the upcoming generation, so that they don’t have to go through the horrible experiences like us.
