Say you have a son, you will enroll him in a school, in the hope that one day he will emerge as an educated member of the society; if not educated, at least informed of our social structure and norms. You will raise your son to be honest and hardworking. You will teach him how to fix a broken pipe and a punctured car. You will teach him about women, you will encourage him to interact and impress. You will encourage him to call them, take them out on dates and appreciate their beauty. You will catch him watching porn and you will teach him about sex. You will teach him about the opportunities he has in life and the opportunities he has with women. You will teach him about the institution of marriage and how to treat his wife.

Before your son makes his debut in society; as a woman, I, earnestly request you to make him aware of how our society views women. I, earnestly, request you to educate him and empower him to break through the years of social conditioning, so I and my daughters can live without worrying about another man, with no respect, viewing us as objects and himself as a glorified being. If I dress in a way that may not agree with his sensibilities, I request you to teach him tolerance and respect. I request you to show him what happens in our country with women who are considered bold, I request you to teach him to see how apathetic society is.

I have faced the brunt of eager, lewd men over the years. I am the woman who travels in cabs after spending a long day at work. I am the woman who goes to a pub or a bar to unwind. I am the woman who travels by public transport. I am the woman in Guwahati, I am the woman in Delhi, I am the woman in Patna, I am the scorned woman in Cocktail and I am the woman in your home. I stand for every woman who deserves respect and tolerance. I, therefore, request you to teach your sons dignity of action. I request you to teach him equality and most importantly, I request you to teach him that we don’t deserve whatever it is that is deemed to be punishment for the choices we make. I am a woman, I can be a partner, I am not a mate.