#metoo

#metoo should not have happened. It happened because finally women spoke up and yet they should not have been pushed to this. Our women have been subject to harassment of all kinds at all places and yet they soldier on. They do this because they are made of a tougher substance than the weak ones who attempt to harass them.

Why do men harass women? I know that the safest excuse is the media and the movies, but movies reflect society. So without stepping into the chicken and egg conundrum let me say that children are moulded by their parents and by what they see their parents do. The other day when my father-in-law mouthed an expletive while travelling with the family it took me a lot of self-restraint not to react in the presence of my daughter but therein lies the danger. We do so many things not caring what the children in our family are seeing or hearing.

Children growing up in homes where the father abuses or just disrespects the mother can never be expected to respect another woman. At an impressionable age children both boys and girls should be taught the importance of respect. The importance of giving and getting respect be it a boy or a girl. Every girl deserves her respect and she should be made aware that it is her right and cannot be denied by anyone. Likewise every boy should know that every girl he comes in contact with deserves the respect as much as is due to him.

When we ingrain the importance of respect I am sure that movies that show otherwise will fail to make the same impact as what is in their value systems. When children see their family members treat each other with love and respect, they will know that there is simply no better way around. It can be tough to be different when the role model at home or even work is a misogynist but they say that the difference between good and great is just a thin line. 

I hope that the next #metoo campaign will be by men who will proudly say, I respect women, because I am a real man.