The nauseating headline of a girl being raped by her own father during the lockdown, while her mother looked on, is such a horrendous reality that it sucks out one’s vitality. The staggering frequency of these gory incidents has practically numbed us—and that is alarming. This yearning for sex, to reach the so-called nirvana, has clouded our senses to such an extent that society is now a new haven for sex-maniacs.
Rape is an indiscriminate global crisis, debilitating the very hallmark of a living being. We must encourage our minds to grow on the foundational bricks of respect and self-control. Let history teach women to not succumb to flesh scavengers but to rise and char this gruesome negativity.
Genesis-
Psychology delineates that the two fundamental human motivations are eating and mating. So, that’s our design, that’s our engine. However, has an individual’s mind corroded to such abysmal magnitudes that he will resort to any means to achieve this end?
Bloody Reality-
Articles slashed across the newspapers, exemplifying how rape knows no boundaries, shockingly explores new levels, and tarnishes the very value of humanity. Sexual assault has no age bar, no dress-code, no size limit, and no blood relation. Even those you believed trustworthy could mar you. Rape has no qualification level, no employment status, no bank balances, no religion, nor any color barrier. This monstrous act shamelessly transcends all human value and behavior.
In Lucknow, India, a four-month-old infant was raped and murdered by her 30-year-old cousin. The rusted mind didn’t even spare a newborn, which can only weep helplessly, oblivious of its very existence. An 89-year-old woman from Tottenham, England was raped by a burglar at her own home. These cases demonstrate that the age and skin texture of a victim is immaterial. It is orgasm that matters; self-satisfaction for the man at any cost is of utmost essence here. In Hyderabad, India, an 80-year-old businessman was held for raping his 22-year-old relative. Blood is no longer thicker than water; a dirty mind has no standard. Statistics show that in the U.S., 70% of the rape cases are perpetrated by a person known to the victim. The highest rate of rape worldwide is seen in South Africa, with 132.4 incidents per 100,000 people, excluding the unreported cases. These are barely an iota of the repugnance scarring our Mother Earth ceaselessly—and these scars never fade.
Problem-
What triggers the mind to deteriorate, that it fails to assimilate the morals of being human? The Homo sapiens, though gifted with a sixth sense, are not choosing the fruition of their actions constructively.
Today, a primary grade student has easy access to pornography. This reflects both the ignorance of a parent and the awfully liberal demeanor of the netizens. Lust is glorified to be a human asset, whereas love is given a backseat, deemed to be a time-eater. A brain molded with such raw matter, seeks more with age, and will not stop until sensually fulfilled. External stimuli have aggravated such horrifying actions, that a man has forgone the very essence of self-control.
Solution-
Every individual should be taught to respect a woman in her own right and space. A woman isn’t an object, but a powerful being of her own. Seek to understand one another first before menacingly trying to force your own opinion. Learn that this external garb that we adorn, this body, isn’t a paper-mache to be exploited but a living, breathing, flourishing entity to be respected.
The portrayal of women since time immemorial, as fearless, gritty superheroes, is an encouragement to young girls from across the globe, to stand up and fight! Today world leaders like Angela Merkel and Jacinda Ardern, sports legends like Serena Williams and Mary Kom, and business magnates like Indra Nooyi and Sheryl Sandberg reflect, through actions, to never be submissive, never succumb to the opponents will, and never be at anyone’s mercy.
Similarly, a man should be taught to be sensitive. Handsome is not in appearance but in his actions, in the way he treats women. A woman doesn’t need a macho knight in some shining armor. But she needs a chivalrous support system, who will appreciate her existence and respect her individuality.
Conclusion-
It all comes down to how we shape ourselves, how responsible we are for our own actions. It is the way we treat one another irrespective of societal discriminations, thus valuing this gift of being human. A human has the mighty power to destroy these derogatory forces and to restore the core qualities of humanity throughout the world. It should be a global resolution to slash out this blemish from the face of our earth.