On consent and abuse

Nilanjana S. Roy deserves to be lauded for finding the courage to share her experience of abuse as a child (“Our bodies, our selves,” March 8). Society sees woman as an object. After a spate of media reports on rape, parents are worried about sending their daughters out. The time has come to change society’s attitude to women. As a first step, commercials which show women in a bad light — like getting attracted to the smell of aftershaves and running after men — should be banned. Are women dogs who follow a trail on smell? Women should retrieve their dignity from such crass portrayals.

Priyanka Upreti,

New Delhi

Child sexual abuse is highly prevalent in India. In fact, male children are subjected to greater harassment. I began to understand the seriousness of the matter as I grew older and as some of my friends started sharing their bitter memories from childhood.

Most parents teach their children how to avoid getting into such situations and, under utter helpless situations, how to remain silent. A man-woman relationship should evolve on the basis of equality, mutual respect and sharing.

B. Ganapathysundararaman,

Tiruchi

Women have been suppressed for ages. The mindset of men and women should change. Women do not need separate trains, separate buses, separate surnames or separate banks. They need dignity and respect. Women, for their part, should understand that they need not be an epitome of submission.

Beena Anil,

Chennai

The writer has been carried away by emotions due to her bad experience in childhood. She has failed to consider the pros and cons of enacting a law against marital rape. The law can be misused to settle scores in case of differences in a marriage. Consent at any time can become refusal. Can a husband and a wife sign consent letters before they establish a relationship?

Ramesh Kumar,

New Delhi