My Take on the Recent Protests, Feminism and Women’s Safety

Recent sexual-violence cases and the protests around them made me think about how we discuss these issues as a society.

I understand the anger behind the protests, but I don't think hating an entire community or raising slogans against all men is the solution. Some of the memes around these protests have also turned a serious issue into entertainment, which can divert attention from the actual problem.

I feel the real change has to start much earlier with children and their upbringing. Boys especially need healthy exposure to girls as friends, classmates and simply as human beings. When someone grows up understanding that women are conscious, emotional human beings rather than objects, that understanding can become part of their subconscious behaviour.

People sometimes say that “men are naturally polygamous.” Humans may have instincts, but we also have culture, self-control and choices. We wear clothes, cook our food and follow countless social norms despite having natural instincts.

For me, the bigger solution is education, healthy upbringing, respect and early exposure, not hatred. We need to teach children how to treat other human beings long before they become adults.