Women usually take years to come forward when it comes to sexual harassment or assault. It may be because she is still in trauma after the incident, or she is afraid, or that she is ashamed and the list goes on. Surprisingly, women aren’t the only ones who go through this trauma; men also get harassed and assaulted sexually. They too refuse to speak up in the fear that they will get laughed at, afraid that he will seem less of a man if he reveals the incident.
Men don’t have it any easier than women. Men are looked down upon when they share their experience because, how he as a man, could let someone assault him. Women don’t always get the short end of the stick; some women use the freedom that has been given to them to drag men down.
Things are slowly changing. This generation demands a change, pitching away from that absurd notion that women somehow instigate attacks. We have movements like the #Me Too, movement to help and inspire women to speak up. These movements encourage us to bring about a difference, but why must we anticipate movements to speak up? Women are strong and independent; why must we depend on someone else for justice or to save us from these attacks? We are very capable of fighting back if we are aware, smart and believe in ourselves. Men suffer too and their voices are either left unheard or they refuse to speak up. We don’t need a movement to end this atrocity. Just be there for them and support them. Speak up, bring about a change. We can do this together. Believe in yourself.
-Hariprriya