On December 16th, 2012, an Indian woman was viciously raped on a moving bus. The woman died shortly after at a hospital in Singapore. Following the appalling gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman in India, there has been uprising and protests in response to the incident. The incident, which occurred in December, is one of 24,000 rapes that are reported each year in India. The protests and uprisings reflect a cultural movement toward a more liberal society that is working to eliminate the stigma and shame attached to Indian women who have been raped. It is important to realize that the issue of rape in India have been a problem for quite some time in the country. There is no question that the report of rapes has increased; however the global media attention is adding flames to the fire. In Indian media, rapes are commonly reported and publicized, yet have not been picked up on a world platform to the extent of their coverage today.
Why has this become a global issue? The recent political uprise and frustration with a corrupt government could be to blame for this new found media attention. As the country pushes its boundaries towards a more liberal society, tension between progressive thinkers and traditionalists increases. The infamous December 16th assault and court trial has brought the penal code for such charges on to a political scale. Ranjana Kumari, director of the Center for Social Research in New Delhi explains this issue was put, “on the political agenda, which has never, ever happened before this.”
The recent coverage of the rapes in India poses a question: What would be the reaction if an American woman was raped in India? Chances are, the episode would explode into an enormous global issue. This could be for many reasons. However, most prominent is the clash of two cultures-- one having historical proof of devaluing other races in comparison to white people. Yes, there are racial undertones. However, the fact of the matter is we as Americans are separated by more than just bodies of water to the Indian population—we are separated by values. In the United States, for example, self expression (i.e. acting passionately for those we care about) is a form of communication. In India, expression is not nearly as common. This difference is most likely due a combination of gender roles and social conditioning. The bottom line, though, is that while these rapes are nothing less than tragic, the December 16th rape has not been in vain. It has led to a unification of victims in India and is allowing the people to finally gain a louder voice.
The recent increase in reporting of rapes in India has galvanized into protests and political uprising. This has positively affected women as they have used this as a tool to find their voice against sexual violence. The once taboo topic has made its way to the forefront of Indian political agenda, and it’s not going away any time soon.
-Bonita H.
Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/baroness-mary-goudie/sexual-violence-in-india-education-the-solution_b_2447378.html
http://world.time.com/2013/01/14/sexual-violence-in-india-how-long-will-the-medias-interest-last/
Adding on to the point raised about the role that cultural differences play in the public's reaction to an act as unbelievably violent as a gang rape on a moving bus, one practice that goes without the negative stigma it has in the U.S. is extremely violent pornography. Because of the high cost that parents know they must take on when having a daughter (many have to raise a dowry in order for their daughters to marry) Indian women frequently abort pregnancies when they discover they are having a girl. The result: the male population now far outweighs the female population which has lead to a lot of lonely men in search of sex and without a life partner.
ReplyDeleteThis combined with the popularity of japanese porn (which often depicts violent rape scenes as acceptable and hot) has added to the countries sky rocketing rape levels. I am sure it would take time, but I wonder what kind of an effect the banning of violent porn could have on the number of rapes? Will it ever be possible to make this type of porn globally obsolete?
As sad as this story is i think it really represents and important social change within India. The way in which the women reacted to this event really shows a step towards gender equality. India is well known for being a patriarchal society, for the women to all stand up against the men for something they truly believe in is really incredible. I have seen pictures of the event and its really quite amazing young girls to older women all line the streets in protest. I think that the fact that this was reported in the media all over the world is also an important pusher for change. Funnily enough i was in Singapore when this event was taking place. I was there when her death was announced, even though there where no protests in singapore the story was so powerful everyone was talking about it for that week. I really hope this event will spur on some sort of change in the laws and punishment against rape in India.
ReplyDeleteIndigo M