Surabhi Kapoor
Principal, Dosti School

Groping, pinching and fondling in public places is something most women have experienced. However, most of these cases go unreported – or simply ignored. The reason for ignoring such instances of sexual harassment is simple – an absolute nonexistence of a support system that will hear and take action against perpetrators – it comes down to the victim’s word against the accused. So, in the light of this how can such instances of sexual abuse and violence against women in India be stopped?
Women with special needs are sadly unaware of such advances, mostly taking it as routine – until it is too late. Girls, both normal and with special needs, need to be taught to identify the “wrong touch” both at home and in public places such as on trains, buses, railway stations, market places and in school. Educating them to deal with such instances as and when they occur may not completely do away with this evil, but it will definitely act as a deterrent. However, these women need a support system that includes social services, efficient policing, and a speedy judicial system that will hear such cases and hand down judgments in the shortest time possible. After all, justice delayed is justice denied!
When perpetrators of crimes against women are punished appropriately and in time, others will be deterred and crimes against women will reduce considerably.
Violence against the girl child and women with disabilities is not just about any kind of physical violence; violence includes negligence, denying them traditional roles such as marriage and motherhood, and of course emotional, mental and physical abuse.
In fact, such is the state of affairs in India that discrimination against the girl child begins even before birth – and at this stage the parents are not even aware of the physical development of the fetus, imagine their reaction if they knew the fetus were special!
Girls and women with disabilities should especially be taught to recognize “the wrong touch. They should be taught to react and report such incidents irrespective of the man (or woman) concerned. Sexual advancements towards women mostly involve known men. Sadly, in many cases it involves the men in the family, such as the fathers of the girls, brothers, uncles and even close family friends – the nature of their relationship with the victim does not absolve them of their crime, and Indian women should understand this without any doubt.
Mothers, sisters, aunts and colleagues, both at work and in school, should be made aware of the need to protect each other by vocalizing any incident of physical and mental abuse against women – especially those with special needs. They should be made aware of the support systems in place to deal with such cases and most of all, they should be made aware that they have a special place in an educated society that has no right to discriminate against women.
It is time to speak out, educate and protect each other against a growing menace that stems from within our sex – mothers unable to bring up their sons to respect womankind. A revolution has to begin with women because only women can end atrocities against themselves – right minded men can only support us.