In a horrendous gangrape incident in Badaun, a district in UP, a 50-year-old woman who worked in Anganwadi has lost her life after a tough battle of survival.
The monstrosity shook the entire nation while some “distinguished personalities” have comments to make on the victim and her code of conduct, referring to the victim as the cause of her victimization.
NCW (National Commission for Women), an organization whose entire existence is based upon representing women’s rights in India and voicing the issues and concerns regarding their well-being, has a member who possesses such a revolting and disreputable mindset that one involuntarily thinks whether women can ever really be safe.
Although the organization has done great work and helped many women under the guidance of Ms. Rekha Sharma, NCW Chairperson, the line of thought of even one member affects the reputation of the organization since they represent the entire team.
Who Said What?
Ms. Chandramukhi Devi, the member in question, said in an interview after visiting the house of the late victim, “This is a crime that has shamed humanity, but I would also like to say that women should not, under the influence of anyone, step out untimely.”
“I feel had the woman not stepped out in the evening, or one of her children had accompanied her, the incident would not have occurred,” she said.
When asked for clarification on the grievous comment, the Chairperson of NCW said, “I don’t know how and why the member has said this but women have the right to move on their will whenever and wherever they want to.”
Read More: In Pics: Karnataka High Court’s Tide Changing Comments On The Gang Rape Case
What Is “Victim Blaming” And Why Does It Happen?
The term has as many faces as achievable but it’s always subtler than the manner adopted above. “Victim Blaming” is an act wherein the victim is chided for not being “careful enough” or for not knowing the correct way to “prevent the assault from happening to them.”
Some people do not bother to empathize and blame the victim without a speck of mercy or compassion for the victim who has suffered tenfold more than their imagination can conceive. They go to such an extent that some people even state that the victim probably deserved what happened to them.
This toxic mindset is not only unhealthy for the self but also hazardous for the victim. Blaming the underdog can not make anyone feel good about themselves.
It will only cause more harm. In some cases, it acts as a guard against the bad news because it has always been hard to accept the face of reality and acknowledge the unjust world that exists.
Will Blaming Ever Stop?
Condemning the victim needs to stop! There is no place for doubt when it comes to a person blaming the victim for what someone else has done to them.
No person, in their right mind, will ever go down such a horrid lane, wherein all compassion, humanity, and sense of justice suffer terribly at the hands of the perpetrators.
The strictest of the punishments should be given to these criminals and as for the ones who support and hoard them, immediate actions should be taken.
That being said, the fact remains that no matter how many punishments or actions have been taken, the mentality cannot be changed nor can the objectionable comments be stopped.
Let us know what according to you should be done to stop the vile act of “victim-blaming” and how/if we can initiate the change in such mindsets.
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Sources: The Indian Express, India Today, Hindustan Times
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This post is tagged under: Gangrape, India, Incident, UP, Victim, Victim Blaming, NCW, National Commission for Women, Organization, Women, rights, issues, mindset, safe, safety, women safety, feminism, rape victim, assault, injustice, unjust, chairperson, help, representation, Chandramukhi Devi, Rekha Sharma, children, old women, clarification, comment, member, will, freedom, prevent, perpetrator, criminal, Will Victim Blaming Ever Stop, What Is Victim Blaming, Why Does Victim Blaming Happen
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