Sexual Abuse, Harassment: Speak up or remain silent?
Sana Miriam Joseph
II SEM BA JPCS
I was scrolling through Facebook just recently, and I saw a number of posts that had the tag "Me Too" in bold. Not knowing what it meant, I googled it, and I was surprised to know that it meant these people are the victims of sexual abuse and harassment. Though this movement had led people to talk about the nightmares they had experienced, the evil of sexual abuse hasn’t come to a standstill in our society yet. I felt repulsed as I read stories of people who were abused by strangers, friends and some even by their own family members. My father, mother, sister and I are all victims of this peccancy.
This makes me speculate if there is even a shred of humanity left in this world? Our society would prefer that the victims remain silent and not talk about it. Why is this topic considered as taboo?
Shouldn't we, as a society be ashamed of ourselves for not doing anything to protect each other?
As a daughter, sister, aunt and a friend, I worry that the ones I love will be affected by this evil. I worry that the world will continue to spiral down, and we will continue to be mere onlookers who do nothing to change it.
Now that we are aware of what men and women go through, I think it is about time. It’s our responsibility to protect each other. Friend or foe; family or not, I think we need to be a support system. We need to become a listener, a protector, and the one that respects.
We need to become bold, strong and courageous, and be the change we wish to see. We need to make conscious efforts to teach each child, the rights and wrongs in order to make the future generation better than the older one. For it is up to us to heal the world and make it a better place.
I want to start the change that I wish to see. I am dauntless (empowered). Are you?