In recent years nothing has disturbed me more than this continuous debate on women being Jezebels and leading men to temptation.
Are we to believe that men have no control over themselves? Are they so stupid, weak and frustrated that the sight of a girl with a less than a fully clad body is vulnerable to their baser instincts?
Do people who trot out this argument realise that we have progressed beyond the cave man mentality. Men can no longer club the woman of their desire on the head, load her over their shoulder and retire into the cave to have their way.
If we haven’t even learnt how to control our base desires, then what price civilization?
This constant barrage of fatwas by Taliban, various religious bodies and the khap panchayat is aimed at destroying a woman’s spirit. Now the police who is supposed to protect also feel the same way?
We are not only doing a dis service to men but also attempting to cover up the inadequacies of our law machine by blaming it all on women’s wear.
Why should girls be covered up from top to toe just so men can be good boys!
If a woman wants to cover herself voluntarily that’s her choice.And as someone pointed out, it’s her judgement as to what is adequate clothing for her. No one has the right to dictate to her.
Though having said that I still feel that girls should wear clothes to suit the occasion. Just as no one wears a saree to a swimming pool , no one should be scantily clad at religious / solemn occasions, or in places where the people may not be so accustomed to seeing flesh.
A suitable dress is definitely a weapon of self-defence for her.
(from my old blog Rana’s Space written in 2012