Are we becoming numb?

Yes, it's the first of a new month and what was one of the first thing I saw online this morning you ask? Another article on child rape in India. This time she was not 5, but 4...and this time that little innocent girl not only lost her innocence, she lost her life! 

Yes, someone was arrested after he confessed to her kidnap and assault, and two suspects were arrested for the rape of a five-year-old as well. But the main question is, is that enough? Do these arrests seem to prevent or perturb future rapists and sexual offenders? I don't think so! 

The rape of the little 5 year old girl finally caused some waves in India and New Delhi (where the girl is from), but there are still many out there that do not find this as shocking or as disturbing as you or I might. 

A friend of mine came across a facebook page that had posted this (look below).

 According to the admins of this particular facebook page, a survey was conducted on their web page, and the results of which show that "apparently" it is women who should be blamed for being raped, as (once again now) "apparently" it is how they dress that calls for unwanted attention from men!

 - This post received 134 likes and over 300 shares!

This was their answer to the problem of rising issue of rape in India?

This post was shared not to begin that age-old argument of how a woman should dress, but is this seriously what is wrong here?

How does a five year old or a 4 year old ask to be violated? By that sweet little pink or white dress she had on? hmmm...I rest my case!

This whole media coverage of the treatment of women and the number of rape cases in India were called to attention four months ago. A young girl in her twenties was gang raped in a bus and later succumbed to her injuries. 

BUT, what about all those cases that never make it to the media? With a billion plus population in India, no one can say how many other cases never come to light.

A blog posted yesterday asked a really scary question: "Just another rape in India. Are we becoming numb?" I agree with the author, Anuja Jaiman, there is no such thing as "just another rape” for a victim." It does not matter if she was 5, 10 or even 30 years old. What did she do to deserve, not only the sexual violation, but also the psychological and physical injuries she has to live with for the rest of her life. If...IF...she survives! 

Something needs to be done! We...yes "WE"...you, me and everyone else. Man, woman and child needs to stand up and let society know that this is just plain WRONG! It does not matter if her leg was showing or that nothing was exposed...no WOMAN needs to be violated! 

Help protect our children, our wives, our mothers, our lovers, our sisters, our friends!

Teach boys and men to RESPECT women, education begins at home. 

Finally, I would like to shed light on an amazing group of women warriors! The Gulabi Gang, or the "Pink Gang" as their better known. Founded in 2006 by Sampat Pal Devi (a former govt health worker and a former child bride), the Gulabi's have vowed to stop child marriages and rape in their district. They visit abusive husbands and beat them up with bamboo sticks (AWESOME!) unless they stop abusing their wives. A series of articles in U.K newspaper, The Guardian, followed the Gulabi's activities. In 2008, they stormed an electricity office in Banda district and forced officials to turn back the power they had cut in order to extract bribes.

"Today, the Gulabi Gang has tens of thousands of women members, several male supporters and many successful interventions to their credit. Whether it is ensuring proper public distribution of food-grains to people below the poverty line, or disbursement of pension to elderly widows who have no birth certificate to prove their age, or preventing abuse of women and children, the Pink sisterhood is in the forefront, bringing about system changes by adopting the simplest of methods - direct action and confrontation.

Although the group’s interventions are mostly on behalf of women, they are increasingly called upon by men to challenge not only male authority over women, but all human rights abuses inflicted on the weak." (an extract from their website)

Stop standing in the shadows, stand up for what is Right and what is Good!

-END RANT!