Student Voice: She Did Not Agree To It

By Kuljit Kaur
Staff Writer| Pacific Times

Sexual assault has become the devil in many people’s lives.

Often girls fall victims to this issue, however many boys become victims of sexual assault as well.

The typical commentary that people often hear to justify the perpetrators actions are, “She was asking for it” or “she was dressed provocatively, maybe she shouldn’t have.”

Consumed by the patriarchal values of this society, people’s thoughts are polluted by such false ideas of assault.

How can people feel safe in an environment where other people are waiting to feast on their innocence? In what ways can this issue be detected and prevented? Should females participate in self defense lessons? Or build their bodies to the equal standard of men?

What I personally am unable to cope with is the idea of why perpetrators believe this is an acceptable act to commit. Why are offenders not given the correct punishment that they deserve?

I know when I leave my house, I would want to feel safe and protected rather than be fearful of the outside world. And I assume that many parents would want the protection and safety of their children as well.

With this issue comes the issues and controversies of the patriarchy and patriarchal values. I am absolutely against the patriarchy and the male dominance influences or ideas. Men and women are all created with the same flesh and bones. The difference are the sexual attributes given to females and males.

Growing up in a family that was heavily patriarchal and strict regarding feminine conduct, my family started to realize that this is not something that they wanted for their children. Thus, I grew up with strong opinions of what females can and cannot do and took control of my own life, wishes and decisions. However, coming from a traditional Indian background, that also meant that I had to keep and carry some of those traditional values. Such as females taking care of the household or always listening to the continuous criticism inflicted on them. “Your a girl, behave like girls,” “your going to get married, you need to learn how to cook and look after the house.”

It was always said that females have to get married and that is my ultimate goal. Thus, I started to hate these values and wanted my independence from these traditional perspectives. Building myself as a strong believer in women liberation and breaking the bondage and limitations of cultural values. This is where I derive my passion and interest towards this issue of sexual assault.

Assault occurs when men or women think they are dominant and stronger in comparison to their vulnerable victim. Due to the patriarchal views of females as compliant and submissive, perpetrators believe that it is easy to control women and that women are mere objects for use. “No means No” and people need to respect and understand this phrase.