By: Prashanti TiwariPATNA: The ‘zero’ cases reported under sexual harassment (IPC 354 A) by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) for Patna in 2016 rather beautifully sums up the experiences of the survivors, who, most often, even in the most ‘harrowing’ cases, do not report the incident to the authorities concerned.Silence, taboo, disbelief and misogyny are some of the choicest invectives that occupy the thought process of a sexual harassment survivor, when she confronts the reality and decides to break her silence. Caught as if in between the two stones of a grinding machine – horrific experience of sexual harassment and ‘victimising’ the survivor approach of our society – the choice for most survivors seems to have been reflected in the NCRB report.While a murder finishes the life of a person, sexual harassment on the contrary kills the very soul of a woman. She continues to live her life but with an experience that has already carved out a deep scar on her soul, and which unfortunately never gets erased in her lifetime. For the last seven years, I have lived these experiences every single minute, first as a victim of abusive domestic violence, which when eventually overcame with great difficulty, was only succeeded by sexual harassment, abuse and exploitation at workplace.The ‘nuts and bolts’ of our ‘muscular’ society works on the principle of pulling down a woman and chaining her ‘under- control’ with every possible tool they can employ, and we are a witness to excellent ‘innovations’ of people with deeply embedded patriarchal mindset aimed at caning and chaining women.To renew my emotional and financial life again after ending an abusive domestic relationship along with a two-year-old child was always going to be difficult. To move forward without any support and also against an established ‘norm’ has been challenging. I realised that the status of a young single mother somehow transmits signal to men that this women is available and will satisfy our lust, especially in a male dominated workplace.I had to break my silence again when faced with sexual harassment at a new work that I started merely two months back. Once again I had to go through that saga of disbelief again – labelled as a ‘liar’, ‘corrupt’, ‘job- promotion hungry’. Police and indigenous press did not even consider asking sexual favours or indecently touching woman as a crime and, mocked as if there is nothing wrong in the act and as if it is the birth right of males.The ‘lust’ in majority of people who came forward in the guise of providing ‘help and support’, whether from police officials, media and others was all too evident, and I wonder that confronting these situations also makes women more vulnerable.Nonetheless, I have firm belief that with continued perseverance and determination most of these challenges can be overcome. Our law and judiciary is extremely progressive.Having said that, I would like to make an appeal to young girls and women to report these crimes as not exercising their legal and constitutional rights makes the executive very weak and incapacitated.It is ultimately we, the women and young girls, who have to make these institutions, systems and governance responsible and accountable to our needs and our continued ‘silence’ is proving fatal. ‘Speak Up’ as well as ‘speak for others who cannot speak’ is the resolve that all women and girls should take on this International Women’s Day.

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