In
India, a teenage girl set herself on fire after being raped by two boys her
age. The boys were helped by a female family member who stood guard while the
girl was brutalized. From 2010 to 2011 there has been a 7.1 percent increase in
the number of reported crimes against women in India. These crimes against
women include rape, dowry related aggression, molestation, kidnapping, and harassment.
While these crimes are on the rise conversely, there has been a decrease in the
number of offenders who get punished for their assaults on female victims. When
reading this I automatically thought the reason behind the lack of punishment was
because of a failing justice system. As I continued to read the article I
learned that this was not the case, but a large part of the issue was related
to the societal structures. India operates under a largely patriarchal system
where women are in no way viewed as equal to men. This viewpoint is what drives
some men to commit brutal assaults against women. Because of their mentality,
some of these attackers may even feel that the crimes they commit are
justified. In some cities like Haryana women are still subjected to honor killings
at the hands of their own families. Honor killings occur when a women has
bought what is perceived as dishonor upon herself and her family. In the
article it says that the only way to combat these crimes is by using a
combination of change in the judicial system and a change in the mindsets of
the population in general. This article sort of reminded me of the victim
blaming attitude that the United States seems to have at times. I grew up in a
society that asks the girl what she was doing wrong before she got raped. Was
she drinking, or was it what she was wearing? Did she want something like this
to happen because she was out alone after dark? I think that this way of
thinking just needs to be eliminated around the world because it sends the
message to perpetrators that their acts of aggression are not entirely their
fault.
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