Right to Walk

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=83627#

I came across a pretty personal and poignant account of the writer's experiences in being personally violated on the public space. Even though I have not personally be groped or harassed in public, yet I too have felt the personal invasion tied to being out on the streets.

Walking in Dhaka can be a nightmare. The amount of eyes peering at you, checking you out, undressing you, following all your gestures etc can be quite daunting. Add to that already unpleasant experience, the coterie of small street urchins latching on to you begging for money and attention. I cannot even imagine walking around my block. Who wants to be gawked at by clusters of men? Whether you are in western or eastern attire, the very sight of a female out on the streets seem to generate an unwelcome instinct in men to invade their personal space.

Will this ever change? I admire how I spot many young females walking on the streets wearing jeans and tshirts in defiance of the lustful staring eyes at them. However, oftentimes, I notice those females are usually accompanied by at least one male figure. Does this imply that it is impossible for females to venture out on the streets alone without being harassed?

Maybe there should be laws against 'eve teasing' as it is named in Bangladesh. Maybe there are already laws in place. But I personally don't think those rules make any difference. Until ordinary male citizens cease regarding females as sexual objects, we wont be feeling much eagerness to be out walking on the streets alone.