by Nehal Mehra – Follow @browngirlmag
Being responsible for another human being at any age is challenging. But at the age of 10, it is unimaginable. A little girl suffered the trauma of being raped by her uncle. It’s not only a violation of this girl’s physical being, but it is also a mental violation.
To further intensify the sting of this wound, the girl was denied an abortion from the government, the reasoning was because the pregnancy was too far along. Her future and rights were ignored, showing just how early decisions are made for women. We, as women, are meant to be seen but not heard – both literally and figuratively.
Adequate nurturing and treatment is essential at 10-years-old. This is when mental development starts and the precedent for the rest of your life is determined. It’s at this age children are learning to love themselves and others and develop a sense of comprehension for worldly matters. If rape, torture, and pain, are taught then the lives of these children develop and evolve with hate and resentment that translates and bubbles up into more venomous actions in adulthood. The result of this kind of action and torture is mental and emotional instability and the pain of one person rippling through families and societies, inhibiting them from growing and flourishing.
Women reporting sexual abuse in India might have risen, but wellness and safety of very young girls are still on the line. Child rape remains taboo, though one would think it would be a topic that would drive more awareness and attention. This is the even darker side of rape culture. Voices are louder than ever when it comes to women, but mouths are being covered for the ones who need their voices heard the most – raped children.
Voices are louder than ever when it comes to women, but mouths are being covered for the ones who need their voices heard the most – raped children.
[Read Also: India’s Rape Shame: We’re Still Looking for Action]
How can a society expect to flourish and claim to be progressive when innocence cannot be preserved?
Nehal Mehra, a graduate student from New York University, is a native Torontonian currently residing in the Big Apple. She finds solace in the arts, beauty and all you can eat sushi. If you can’t find her scrolling her social media feed or studying at a Starbucks, look in the aisles of Sephora or blasting Bollywood tunes in her bedroom.
