It’s high time that we stood strongly against sexual harassment and violence against girls and women

I have been frequently asked why I wear short clothes,  wear so much makeup,  show my body, go out at night, any many more. The tragic fact , however, is that they finally ask me whether I also want to be raped? 

Sexual harassment and violence against girls and women are terrible crimes in the world and, unfortunately, they take place in every single minute. Most of us have faced different types of harassment in our life. 

All the parents treat their daughter/s like a princess/es without making any compromises in  fulfilling their needs and wants. In the Nepalis context, the same daughter has to go to others house after marriage where she is required to be someone’s wife, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law and so one. She is often  treated as a servant as per our traditional rules. 

As a gardener keeps his flower safe from evil eyes and protects the flower from being plucked by somebody else, a daughter’s parents also feel the same way.  I wonder when parents have to go through these feelings. When shall our parents feel assured of their daughters' safety in the society? 

According to our society, treating a daughter of another house like a servant is acceptable whereas the same person does not want his/her daughter to be treated in the same way. But why? They think that love and care are not required for them. It's very hard for all of us to stop all this violence in our society. However, being a parent you should not only teach them to carry out their duties and responsibilities toward the family, you should but also teach them to have enough feat to raise the voice against the mental and physical pressure that they are facing in their daily life so that no more woman will have to die due to all these harassments. Every woman treats her in-laws the same way she treats her father and mother but why can the in-laws not treat the daughter-in-Law as their daughter?

Most girls are facing the violence in their daily life. The difference is some face that at their houses whereas some in the public transportations, shopping malls and at other places. Along with the violence, they are going through the sexual harassment as well. I have been frequently asked why I wear short clothes,  wear so much makeup,  show my body, go out at night, any many more. The tragic fact , however, is that they finally ask me whether I also want to be raped? 

It’s not me who is envoking rape and harassment, but the man one with ill-intention looks at me with his evil eyes. Teach the boys to be disciplined and respect the girls. I don’t blame all the men for this but there are many who have mal-intention. 

A few days ago, I was going through a well-known Facebook page, which usually posts about the cases of girls who were raped and murdered. The same page recently posted about a woman who died due to mental and physical pressure. Before writing this piece, I went through all the comments over there where many men said that  it must be the fault of that woman who was ‘killed’. 

I would like to question all the men - Was it really the woman’s fault?  If yes, let me ask:  Why was Nirmala Panta raped though she was just 13 years old? What was her fault? If yes, tell me: Why was a 3-year-old baby girl raped?  Was she wearing short clothes or was she wearing too much makeup or was she travelling alone at night? Stop saying she was harassed rather say the ‘monster’ committed the crime.What I feel is : If you can’t respect the girl then you men stop asking for justice for the women who have been abused.

The number of incidents of violence, sexual harassment, physical assault, emotional abuse, stalking and blackmailing over women have increased during this pandemi. Therefore, the government should work on this matter rather than indulging in the game of thrones.  

Last thing is that we girls and women need to stand up to protect ourselves as it happens to our mothers, sisters, daughters multiple times. NO MEANS NO.  We must not be a part of this kind of brutality anymore.

If we are not taking a stand today, then when?

If not raising a voice today, then when?

Until when  shall we be blaming the victims rather than fighting for the victims rights?

Brothers! Please, be  humans not monsters.