Societal Change Needs To Begin At Home

Parents and guardians need to raise children who contribute towards creating a world where all feel safe and are treated equally. Here are some suggestions:

- Elsamarie D'silva

New Year’s Eve in Bangalore, the Silicon Valley of India, saw ‘mass molestation’ of women on two major roads. Hordes of men groped, pawed and assaulted women, even tearing their clothes in some instances. Shocking, but this isn’t a one-off incident.

Nearly all women and girls experience some kind of sexual harassment in their lives, be it in the streets, on public transit, in school or in the workplace. My organisation, Safecity has collected over 10,000 such stories in four years.

We, as a society, live in troubled waters and there’s an urgent need for us to change. Men need to set an example by showing their thoughts, words and deeds are respectful and non-violent. They need to promote equality within and outside their homes. They need to actively participate in child rearing and other activities that are traditionally seen as women-only zones, thereby challenging gender stereotypes and portraying alternate models of masculinity.

Raising sons who respect women is the first step towards raising a ‘respectful’ society. Seeds of change need to be sowed at home. Here are some must-dos:

BRING UP CHILDREN EQUALLY

A child's social development is deeply rooted in opportunities, skills, and recognition that occurs through early interaction with family members, peers, teachers, neighbours, and many others, according to U.S. Professor Mark W. Fraser.