Charity begins at home

In apportioning responsibilities in the "fight" for gender equality the only one left out is the common citizen. It does not provide for any political mileage or any sensation on the media if we start looking inwards and find out things for us to do.First of all there is a need to relook at gender equality and get it defined correctly. Moving forward more than the police , the paralysed administration and the insensitive government how many of us have had the courage to raise our voices when we see untoward incidents happening around us. This job we have outsourced to that "hero" in the proxy ad of Liquor brand .How many of us have attended marriages where huge amount of cash and gold are "exchanged" when we are "aware" about the dowry act. How many of us have dared to intervene in our localities  ( 20 buildings around you) when we have witnessed harassment ( including violence) by in- laws demanding dowry or chose to ignore because they are friends , relatives, drink buddies. How many times have we tried to counsel , advice , threaten the perpetrators , to avoid abortion of female fetuses in our neighborhood. How many of us have friends who are habitual eve-teasers and how many times have we discouraged them from indulging in such acts. How many of us feel uncomfortable about imaging the policemen as the chulbul pandey's in popular films and feel that it is time we boycotted such films .How many of us realise that most bollywood songs are glamourised eve-teasing and create a certain stereo-type of women in our society Incidentally the ever-sermonising news media doesn't find this depiction as incorrect and are ready to celebrate these films as 100 cr grossers. How many of us squirm when women are depicted incorrectly in ads and feel that we can voice our protest by at least making those ads irrelevant . 
Answers to these question will decide how we are making our society a safer place for women. And if we get our act right we will not require candle light vigils , flash mob demonstration, and condemnation of govt and administration to set things right . And please Don't forget that CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME