Need a Change in Societal Mindset

People in responsible positions make statements about the influence of the Western culture in dressing, indirectly casting aspersion on the rape victim. So how provocative were the 2 year and 70 year old rape victims dressed? Another government advocates the need to have separate buses for boys and girls to prevent rape. I wonder how this helps to prevent rape by relatives and friends and custodians of the law.

There were very few articles on how a societal change of the mindset is needed. I still remember talking to my brother’s friend on how mechanical engineering is for the boys. He immediately asked me what made me think so. That still keeps me thinking as to how we perceive everything in the society. Giving preferential treatment to the husband and the son is the norm of the Indian society. We don’t verbally advocate this. But what message do we send to the children when a (good) mother however sick is to attend to the family when the other family members relax. The children learn more from our actions than words. The mindset that women are born to be below men and help them is prevalent in every strata of our society.

I was with my students who were playing in a beach. A group of boys who passed by gave undue attention to the girls. I had two options before me. One was to tell the girls to stop playing and keep a low profile. But I told them to continue what they were doing and to just ignore them.  Obviously the beach was crowded and I knew that the girls were safer. But should we always restrict the movement of the girls to make them safe?

The society is making strides and there are lot of men and women I know who do not conform to the social ideas of a male. But we still have a long way to go.