To college students everywhere,
I wish that this letter was about something happy, but it isn't. I wish that these horrible acts did not happen or even exist, but tragically they are very common. We have to face reality: one in four women will experience sexual assault. The topic of sexual assault is highly under-addressed, and this documentary provides an eye-opening experience to society.
India’s Daughter is a documentary about a brutal gang rape that occurred in New Dehli. This documentary was banned in India due to the government’s lack of concern. Many women believe that rape or sexual assault is “okay”, but it is not. By banning this video, it has forced the people living in the country to be less aware about this serious issue. This is unacceptable, and unfortunately India is not the only country that has failed to address this sensitive topic.
Being born and raised in America, I have realized that many people know about rape and sexual assault; however, people are not properly educated about it. It was not until my freshman year of college, that I learned about Title IX, and its significance. During my first week of college, the entering freshmen were required to learn and discuss the importance of Title IX. I did not realize how common and serious sexual assault issues were, especially on college campuses. People should learn about this issue sooner, they should not be in college when they learn about it.
In the documentary, the assaulters’ viewpoints on the situation were disgusting. They blamed the woman for absolutely everything, and said it was her fault for being out of the house past six without a male companion. This thought process is absurd but sadly it is a common thought held by people all around the world. A lawyer even stated that women are like diamonds, and that they should not be left on the street otherwise a dog will take it. But I propose something else: how about you teach the dog to not take the diamond in the first place? The scary thing is that the people who think this way do not think that it is wrong and are usually the ones committing these crimes.
Women do not need a male figure to protect them, and men need to understand that women are not objects to be used and disposed of. Women are not the only ones who suffer from sexual assault, many men suffer too; however, this issue is also under-reported.
Thankfully, the people of India took this story as a wake up call and began protesting, but unfortunately the police violently stopped them, stating that their city was completely safe. Unfortunately, India was the only country that had a public eye on this subject, but there are many other countries that suffer from this same problems.
It should be safe for women to walk around without constantly being paranoid. I am not asking for a utopia; this is very reasonable. I want to believe that this problem will be solved in a couple of years, but if people continue to think like the perpetrators than nothing will change. I guess I'll just have to continue to carry around my pepper spray until then.
Sincerely,
A college woman
