Is Delhi safe for women is a question doing the rounds these day. News channels, newspapers, social networking sites, drawing room conversations. It's all over.
I am from Delhi, I am a woman and I think Delhi is as safe for women as any other place in India or around the world. Is there any one place in the world where you can say a woman is safe? I think not!
Now please don't think that I am saying it's safe.....that's not the point of this post. I'm just wanting to tell you how, being a woman, I decide what risks I take and what I don't in order to live my life.
For a woman, in India, there is no place 100% safe. There are loads of statistics of incest, rape in marriage, dowry deaths, harassment at work.....I could go on but you've got the picture. It all depends on what a man around you is thinking or feeling.
Being a woman, I'v had to take a conscious decision about what I do or not do in order to make myself feel safe. Yes I drive around late at night, yes I wear clothes which might be termed as "provocative", yes I party, and I do all that NOT because I think I'm safe.....I do it because I do not want to live my life in a restricted way.
Sure I get nervous, sure I feel like slapping a guy who looks at me the wrong way but what is the option? Cover myself, stay home, live a life which is "safe" and boring. I think not. Instead I put my faith in God, keep my eyes and ears open, be very very alert and try to live my life to the fullest. Because it's not about Delhi or Mumbai or Bangalore......it can happen anywhere because men in our country think brute force is the one and only weapon they have to dominate women and prove they're superior.
Disclaimer : My aim is not to offend any man who reads this post. I have a ton of really wonderful friends who are men, who are perfect gentlemen, who reinforce my faith in men and give me the courage to live life on my own terms :)
I am from Delhi, I am a woman and I think Delhi is as safe for women as any other place in India or around the world. Is there any one place in the world where you can say a woman is safe? I think not!
Now please don't think that I am saying it's safe.....that's not the point of this post. I'm just wanting to tell you how, being a woman, I decide what risks I take and what I don't in order to live my life.
For a woman, in India, there is no place 100% safe. There are loads of statistics of incest, rape in marriage, dowry deaths, harassment at work.....I could go on but you've got the picture. It all depends on what a man around you is thinking or feeling.
Being a woman, I'v had to take a conscious decision about what I do or not do in order to make myself feel safe. Yes I drive around late at night, yes I wear clothes which might be termed as "provocative", yes I party, and I do all that NOT because I think I'm safe.....I do it because I do not want to live my life in a restricted way.
Sure I get nervous, sure I feel like slapping a guy who looks at me the wrong way but what is the option? Cover myself, stay home, live a life which is "safe" and boring. I think not. Instead I put my faith in God, keep my eyes and ears open, be very very alert and try to live my life to the fullest. Because it's not about Delhi or Mumbai or Bangalore......it can happen anywhere because men in our country think brute force is the one and only weapon they have to dominate women and prove they're superior.
Disclaimer : My aim is not to offend any man who reads this post. I have a ton of really wonderful friends who are men, who are perfect gentlemen, who reinforce my faith in men and give me the courage to live life on my own terms :)
Time has changed, the world is not moving on physical strength alone, but with the underlying spiritual factor as well. Women have proven their achievement in every field and some even have outnumbered their male counterparts in certain fields. The dominating factor as breadwinners which led to the brutish believe that men are superior than women, has now taken a different turn because women have proven they too can support a family, or even excel at that. Lack of proper education,poverty and blind belief in religions/traditions plus the savagery during the ancient time had misplaced women. Now things have changed, yet women struggling to prove themselves, which shouldn't be the case. Evolution takes time and much safer.
ReplyDelete@cyclopseven : I agree and that's what makes it so sad that just because we're physically weaker we have to live our lives living in fear. But Insha Allah things will change and one day women will not have to live in fear :)
ReplyDeleteInteresting way to tackle the situation. :) I completely second your thought on Delhi being as safe as Mumbai / B/lore and the likes. I personally believe that the "unfortunate events" are a bit more blatant and are reported more frequently in Delhi than other metros / Cities.
ReplyDeleteDo live your life to the fullest. Do what you feel like.. Do not let some random guy on the road govern your thoughts... Just be safe and alert(which you already are.. :) ), but do not live in fear !.. Things are changing.. let hope for the best soon...
P.S: Accidentally bumped into your blog while reading through a few articles.. Loved the Selected quotes there.. :)
Keep Blogging..
Cheers..
Kash..
@Ashwin : That's what I am trying to do because I believe that we only have one life to live and being a fatalist I leave the rest to God :) Also agree with you that it probably gets reported more in big cities but it happens everywhere.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for visiting :)