Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Power Game

Last evening, I read these 2 articles which were pretty intense and made me thinking. They were on rape.

Multiple times I have had nightmares of getting raped. I dont know if as a woman you have been through the same nightmare or not, but it is not a near comfortable dream I must say. So I was thinking, if a nightmare could create so much mental trauma, what do all those women go through who have experienced it.

So, why do men even rape?

You have so many options available, but still why would a man rape? I was thinking, maybe its still a power game here. Its that person's way of proving that he is more powerful, that he has the capacity to not only insult another person physically, but mentally too. It is the power he has to traumatise another person. Mind it, its easier to hurt someone physically, specially a woman, any 'man' could do that. But the power a man has to hurt a woman mentally, that I guess is the kick.

I know someone whose sister is a very well known post-rape therapist. She had practiced and counseled rape victims and the rapists. And from her, I got to know that many rapists do not feel guilty after their act, they feel they did the right/obvious thing. Why?

Also, many people tell that the best way to avoid a rape is by dressing appropriately. What is appropriate? I was thinking, does that mean women who wear sarees and salwaar suits in our country never get raped?

So there was this lady, who worked for this cause, and as a part of that project collected clothes from women who were molested. Guess what all she collected: mostly sarees, salwaar suits, sleeveless and with sleeve blouses, jeans, shirts, long skirts, short skirts etc etc.

So, does a man only get aroused and feel like raping a woman forcefully when he sees her inappropriately dressed? Would the man be equally satisfied, if the woman getting raped did not oppose?
I dont know, but maybe that would not satisfy this man? After all what fun is it to rape someone who is not even opposing and with whom you dont even need to use force/power.

And before you ask us to dress appropriately, ponder upon this:

There was this question asked to a father: If your daughter was skimpily dressed and wanted to go out with a dear guy friend of hers for a drink, would you let her go out? To this the father replied: If you had a son who wanted to go out with a friend of his who was a girl and was skimpily dressed, would you be sure that he would not do anything indecent and let him go out? If your answer is yes, my answer is also yes.

No comments:

Post a Comment