A peep down memory lane would reveal that just a couple of decades ago when a woman was subjected to any form of molestation, instead of reproaching the culprit it was common to point an accusing finger at the woman for no fault of hers. On account of this established patriarchal attitude, the shattered families had resigned to the belief, ‘ghar ki laaz ghar mein hi rahane do’.
People in general had no astuteness to even question what sort of family honour was there to shield when the woman had not committed any crime and it is the man who had inflicted the humiliation on her and it is he who is to be condemned and not the hapless woman. Dejectedly, the affected people would prefer to put the lid on the controversy to avoid embarrassment without even lodging a police complaint, thereby further boosting the design of the criminals.
Fortunately of late things have been changing for the better. The feminine world has learned to say ‘enough is enough’ and there is an awakening that there is nothing to be ashamed of when the crime is committed by men and it is they who should attract punitive measures for the crime. It is worth noting that crimes against women are not confined to only the lower strata but have pervaded all sections of society, which can be fathomed by the startling revelations made by women of all hues.
The Me Too movement with the hashtag #MeToo, which started in the west, is greatly instrumental in encouraging women to open up and disclose the injustices caused to them by misogynistic and insatiable high profile men. There have been many instances where people have been victims of casting couch, a practice where the boss seeks sexual favours from the subordinates in areas like entertainment industry, offices, research organisations and so on. Many world celebrities have broken all shackles in naming and shaming such rapacious men, may be even after decades, to be free from the hurt feelings of the past.
What catches the eye is that this movement has even caught up with the women in the religious organisations. Unbelievable disclosures have been made by the nuns from different continents, who were made safe prey behind closed cloisters by the priests and others in the higher echelon taking advantage of their vows of obedience, thinking they would remain subjected to their superiors without revealing anything to anyone. Celibacy on one side and guilt on the other!
