Then Delhi happened...
I was shocked when I recently heard that some man thought that Mike Tyson could be a good role model for the South Auckland men. It certainly couldn't have been a woman who in her right mind would endorse a man who physically and verbally belittles women.
I had been quietly feeling the pain of three young women; Sahar Gul, Mah Gul and Malala Yousufzai. These young, courageous women were born in war ravaged zones. Born in a part of society where women are treated worse than animals. But what of those who lead a life of suffering, carefully concealed under a curtain of normalcy?
It is none other than a fellow human being, ‘the man’, who is responsible for stripping away any semblance of decency. Invariably, it is ‘the man’ who, in the case of these women, and in the case of many faceless, nameless women, who has committed these offences. Research has shown that in most cases of violence against women, the offender is known to her.
More than ever, as women, it is vitally important to form a collective voice of reason and make careful choices that will empower future generations.
No two humans lead a similar life, even though many factors govern the course of our lives, but merely born a woman makes us a part of a single community of sisterhood. If you look around you, you will find her taking short shuffling steps in the courtyard of Pearl. S. Buck’s China, her feet bound so tight it hurts to walk; yet she is glorified for the smallness of her feet.
She may be a partner in the much lauded Indian institution of marriage. It is she who secretly knows that her marriage is erected on the graveyard of desire, ambition and individualism; inevitably, her sacrifices weighing down the scales. She could be a friend, nourishing traditions with her time, patience and utter devotion, passing it on to the next generation, an epitome of compassion, love and quiet strength – longing to break free.
Madeleine Albright, the first women US Secretary of State once said, "There is a special place in hell for women who don't help other women."
The time is certainly right to re-imagine and reinvent the civilization as we know it, a little by little with careful choices, by moving away from victimary thinking and more than anything, educating our men. This includes choosing our role models carefully.
We owe it to ourselves and to one another as women and men, to ensure that another Nirbhaya doesn’t happen. Women just like us in India, and the world over are trying to reinvent civilization. And choosing our role models with caution and care is a small, yet vital step in doing our bit. When we encourage our sons to be sensitive to the feelings of others and treating women as people first, we are taking another step towards a more equal world.
Change can begin, right here, right now, close to home in our very own New Zealand. As long as we can find it in ourselves to reach out to those quietly suffering in private hells at the hands of people we see every day – our friends, neighbors, family members - there is hope.
I was shocked when I recently heard that some man thought that Mike Tyson could be a good role model for the South Auckland men. It certainly couldn't have been a woman who in her right mind would endorse a man who physically and verbally belittles women. I had been quietly feeling the pain of...
I was shocked when I recently heard that some man thought that Mike Tyson could be a good role model for the South Auckland men. It certainly couldn't have been a woman who in her right mind would endorse a man who physically and verbally belittles women.
I had been quietly feeling the pain of three young women; Sahar Gul, Mah Gul and Malala Yousufzai. These young, courageous women were born in war ravaged zones. Born in a part of society where women are treated worse than animals. But what of those who lead a life of suffering, carefully concealed under a curtain of normalcy?
It is none other than a fellow human being, ‘the man’, who is responsible for stripping away any semblance of decency. Invariably, it is ‘the man’ who, in the case of these women, and in the case of many faceless, nameless women, who has committed these offences. Research has shown that in most cases of violence against women, the offender is known to her.
More than ever, as women, it is vitally important to form a collective voice of reason and make careful choices that will empower future generations.
No two humans lead a similar life, even though many factors govern the course of our lives, but merely born a woman makes us a part of a single community of sisterhood. If you look around you, you will find her taking short shuffling steps in the courtyard of Pearl. S. Buck’s China, her feet bound so tight it hurts to walk; yet she is glorified for the smallness of her feet.
She may be a partner in the much lauded Indian institution of marriage. It is she who secretly knows that her marriage is erected on the graveyard of desire, ambition and individualism; inevitably, her sacrifices weighing down the scales. She could be a friend, nourishing traditions with her time, patience and utter devotion, passing it on to the next generation, an epitome of compassion, love and quiet strength – longing to break free.
Madeleine Albright, the first women US Secretary of State once said, "There is a special place in hell for women who don't help other women."
The time is certainly right to re-imagine and reinvent the civilization as we know it, a little by little with careful choices, by moving away from victimary thinking and more than anything, educating our men. This includes choosing our role models carefully.
We owe it to ourselves and to one another as women and men, to ensure that another Nirbhaya doesn’t happen. Women just like us in India, and the world over are trying to reinvent civilization. And choosing our role models with caution and care is a small, yet vital step in doing our bit. When we encourage our sons to be sensitive to the feelings of others and treating women as people first, we are taking another step towards a more equal world.
Change can begin, right here, right now, close to home in our very own New Zealand. As long as we can find it in ourselves to reach out to those quietly suffering in private hells at the hands of people we see every day – our friends, neighbors, family members - there is hope.
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