Are Indian Men More Attracted To And By The Concept Of Sex Than In The West?

Incidences of violence and sexual assault against women in India have been on the rise lately. Pinning down the cause for these and thwarting such incidents in the future is very important. 

Recently, the gang rape of a 23 year old psychotherapy student left the nation in shock and now the rape of a minor, who is just 5 years old, has appalled the country. One statistic has even pointed out that a female gets raped every 22 minutes in India. Then, eve teasing, acid attacks, dowry deaths and marriages of minors are also common in the country. Actually, the Asian Center for Human Rights has stated that the number of child rape cases have increased by more than three times between 2001 to 2011.

After recording women’s views, it was found that 95% of the women from New Delhi stated that they did not feel safe in public places. Also, about 75% of the men agreed with this statement made by majority of the female population in New Delhi. Moreover, the trend of selective sex abortion in the country indicates that women are in danger even before they are born. Then, the practice of paying dowry for a girl’s marriage, although made illegal, is still being carried on. Other social prejudices against women are not educating them and favoring male siblings over the girl child.  

The authorities have tried to change things by passing laws that appear to be more stringent but will this be able to alter anything is the question everyone should probe into. Men in India have deep rooted notions, beliefs and conceptions about women and sex. Getting to the majority of the population, a huge chunk of which is illiterate and bordering on the poverty line, is also a huge challenge. Not only is there a need to increase awareness about women’s issues but men also need to be sensitized on the subject. Some experts have even stated that things like female infanticide and marriage of underage girls suggests that a girl’s life isn’t valued in the country.

To change stereotypes about sex and attitude of men towards women, campaigns need to be executed at a grass-root level. Conventional and long established perceptions towards women have to change. For example, men shouldn’t judge a woman’s life choices or pass an opinion on any of their decisions such as the clothes they choose to wear. Women should also be encouraged to speak out in cases involving domestic violence and molestation.

The conservative mindset in India is very strong. So, it becomes difficult to even make people understand about women’s rights and the prejudices against them in the country. Most people just take such bigotry and bias for granted and consider it to be a norm. Many activists have also said that the falling number of women as compared to the number of men is the root cause of the issue. The number of men who are unable to find a suitable bride in the country is quite substantial.  So, educating and sensitizing the male population in India is a pressing need.