”My body, My choice”

You stare at me like a hungry wolf. You crave for my body like a truffle which you want to grab. You talk about my body as if it is the trending topic of discussion. You ultimately think that it is an object which you can grab. While passing by you stare at me as if you want to swallow me. Because of ‘your’ ill doings, I am being told to handle my body like an object. I am being told to cover it so that it is protected from you all.  The society should understand one thing that it is my body and I have a right over it.

It is really a terrifying thing. So many men treat women as though their presence in the street is for pleasure, considering the fact that the female body is so often turned into a product for male pleasure. Our bodies are not bottles of alcohol, we are not toys, we are not sex-things. A lot of people will try and tell you that a woman should watch how she dresses so she doesn’t tempt you to look at her wrongly. Here is what I will tell you. It is a woman’s responsibility to dress herself in the morning. It is your responsibility to look at her like a human being regardless of what she is wearing. She is more than her body. There is a lot of talk about how men objectify women, and largely, it is true. Humans objectify the things they love in effort to control them. If you truly love a person, do not reduce them to an object. The moment you objectify another human – woman or man, you give up your humanity. A woman’s body is beautiful and wonderful. Respect it by respecting her as an individual with hopes, dreams, experiences and emotions. Let her be confident. Embrace her and love her.       — About the Author: The article has been contributed by our intern, Ruchi Sarin.