We are going through a trying time. Our society has become a hotbed for crime and criminals. With justice taking too long and doing too little, it could be seen as encouragement to commit more crimes against women. The rising numbers of such incidents, after the judgements handed out to the Nirbhaya rapists, support this theory. So women in India have learned the hard way to mortally fear certain things which they don’t talk about much.
Get drunk in public
Get Drunk in Public
Because getting tipsy in public apparently means a direct invitation to the male population to violate her dignity and assault her physically.
Put down her glass on a counter or table and look away for even a second
Unattended Drinks will be Drugged
Leaving their drinks unattended could prove to be highly dangerous. In a matter of seconds the drink could be drugged with a Roofie or some such date rape drug.
Go for a walk at night alone
Go for a Night Walk, Alone
Because if she belong to a good family and is a good girl then she won’t leave the house past 7 pm, or she’ll get back in by 7 pm. If she is still walking around alone at night that clearly means she is shouting, “Someone, please violate my rights!”
Talk back to harassers
Talk Back to Harassers
She is a woman, and her place in society is very clear. If she talks back to a man for any reason, she is asking for a beating, or an acid attack or other violent crimes against her.
Wear clothes she likes
Wear See-through Clothes
Are you kidding? In a world where 80 year old’s and 6 month old’s are being attacked, assaulted and violated, a young woman needs to cover up and even that doesn’t guarantee any protection. So wearing clothes they like, even a fitting salwar kameez, could be treated as an invitation for, cat-calls at the very least.
Be friendly towards a stranger (unknown male)
Be Friendly to a Stranger Guy
If a woman is polite, and smiles when some stranger smiles at her and says hello, it obviously means she has given consent for a sexual relationship. She no longer has a right to say ‘No’. And even if she does, who gives a damn?
Use an isolated ATM machine
Use an Isolated ATM
Women fear this place like a haunted house. They know that these places are watched and targeted by those who want to steal money from users or attack women who are alone.
Give your last name when meeting someone new
Give Your Last Name to a Stranger
In the connected world of social media, your real last name would make it very easy to find your home or workplace. In some cases even your mobile number. So it’s a strict no-no.
Cabs and cab drivers
The Cab Driver Anxiety
Many women refrain from using cabs at night after incidents of assault and kidnapping. Some women never get dropped to their own homes, to ensure that the cabbie cannot know where she lives.
It’s exhausting to be a woman because you can never truly let go and enjoy yourself. Not if you are alone. Even if you are with a man, it means little against a group of attackers like the Nirbhaya rapists or a mob like the one that killed Dr. Narang. So what should law abiding citizens do while facing an enemy neither they, nor the police, nor the justice system appear to be equipped to handle?
