Stop Violence Against Women

The rate of violence against women increased in India over the last ten years.Though the reported cases of increase is partly due to the better rate of reporting( awareness)the fact of the matter is every minute there is one or other kind violence against women in all parts of India and Kerala. There instances of domestic violence are the experience of a huge number of women every day. There are millions of women raped (including marital rape) within the family. Only a fraction of the cases of rapes get reported. Likewise only a fraction of sexual harassment at work place get reported. There are still instances of honour killings in 21st century in India. The brutal murder of Jisha, is another wake up call to let us know how apathetic are we towards the issue of violence against women. When a shocking instance of rape and murder get reported there will be a week of discussions and protests in the media or for the media. We will then point fingers at each other. Politicians will try to fish in the muddled water and try to make mileage out of such personal as well as social tragedies. After a week or two of a brutal murder of a women, the protests subsides and the media will go after the next news. And instances of violence, rape and killings will continue. Who are the culprits? We , each of us, are the culprits. When we tolerate or perpetuate violence against women. When we adopt convenient silence when we know a colleague is harassed in the office, when we keep quite when a woman in your own family, extended family or in the neighborhood face domestic violence, when we are silent spectators or actors in the act of violence, we are perpetuating violence against women. So not only Jisha, every woman at the receiving end violence must get justice in Kerala, India and everywhere. A week of protest and media attention is good to make us realize how we are all a part of the problem. We must act everyday to stop all kinds of violence against women beginning from our own family and community.