The festive abuse phenomenon
Gender Thoughts by Nadira Gunatilleke
Violence against women has taken a new turn and become severe during
festive seasons. This specific type of violence is especially aimed at
girl children, girls and women of all ages who visit crowded places to
view decorations. Even Galle face green has become a hunting ground for
women on some occasions.
According to some media reports even some young girls who were with
their parents and elders had been harassed by gangs of men. They had
been harassed in front of parents and elders. Practising this type of
third grade acts is a shame. Galle Face green is a popular place among
tourists.
Sri Lanka is famous in the world for hospitality and warm
friendliness but viewing those acts will definitely tarnish the good
image of the country. It is interesting to analyze this situation which
brings out the bitter truth.
In those incidents, men have attacked young girls who visited Galle
Face green with their parents. That means the victims were with their
fathers and mothers.
The perpetrators had been bold enough to abuse girls in front of
their fathers! Fathers who have young daughters cannot be young men.
Definitely at least they should be in their fifties. This means the
perpetrators are not scared of aged men.
They think that aged men are like women, weak and helpless. Those
gangs do not harass girls who visit public places with their body
builder boyfriends, boyfriends with army cut hair or boyfriends who
drive Monteros and Intercoolars. So that is how those men treat Sri
Lankan women, girls and aged men. They obey only physical power and
money power.
There is an argument that men harass women because women wear
revealing outfits in public places. But the problem exist not in women's
outfits but in the confused minds of men.
Therefore this argument is baseless.
In this transition period most of the men see blue films which show
naked women and they also stare at real half naked women who stroll on
roads and corridors in urban and semi urban areas.
But still the law, traditional Sri Lankan culture and social ethics
do not allow them to enjoy it openly. The same facts do not prevent
women from wearing revealing clothes.
Therefore most men carry an active volcano of suppressed sexual
desires in their bodies.
Men will harass women until this conflict comes to an end. But women
should have the freedom to wear whatever they want and be free of
harassment.
The work carried out by the police to catch perpetrators is not
satisfactory at all.
Police should be more vigilant and should not wait until a victim
complains about an incident. A tight security plan can prevent most
harassment that takes place at public places.
The other factor is that relevant authorities should make
arrangements to deploy an adequate number of police officers to provide
security to the women who visit public places during special occasions.
But what is happening in the country at the moment is, waking up and
screaming at the highest pitch after an event take place - a major
incident (a serious incident of violence against a woman). This will not
do any good to protect women from violence.
Most people talk about how women in some foreign countries move here
and there freely even at midnight and how Sri Lankan women are being
forced to lock themselves in houses after 6.00 pm. But no one talks
about the facts behind these different conditions and what factors can
be changed to achieve a better environment for Sri Lankan women.
Many compare Sri Lankan culture and the cultures of foreign countries
and say the Sri Lankan culture is suprerior.
But in those countries women move freely at midnight and Sri Lankan
women can't stay at their homes alone. Time has come to find out why and
to look for solutions. |