One in 15 Million

Approximately 15 million adolescent girls (aged 15 to 19) worldwide have experienced forced sex (forced sexual intercourse or other sexual acts) at some point in their life. - UN Women 2018

ONE IN FIFTEEN MILLION

Her little eyes fluttered open

Startled by the harsh tune of the alarm clock

Nervous, she peeped out her window

The morning sky was livid with streaks of indigo

 

Trembling she tied her shoe lace

There were things she knew she’d have to face

A friend of hers had gone missing she had heard

And now her posters across the village were being blurred

 

Anxious, she pulled her school skirt a little down

Pulled her socks up and saw her mother frown

She was the apple of her mother’s eyes

She had the perfect face, the perfect voice

The perfect bride two years from now

With a piece of land, some jewellery and fifteen cows

The school was far and she left early

She didn’t want to take the dangerous road

She didn’t want to be another victim of the fake cavalry

She hugged her school bag closely and began walking

The bus won’t be coming today, she heard one talking

 

The boys near her cheered instantly

Splashing, joking, playing carefree they went along

To go to school, she knew she had to be strong

 

The roads were muddy, the path dangerous

By far it had been fine

She knew she was courageous

Suddenly then she heard the horn of a few motorbikes

She turned back and her nightmares hit her like spikes

Running for her life across a field of thorns

She knew all about the traditional norms

If something happened her family would be disgraced

Her life forward would be a total waste

She ran fast but she was only a little girl

The prey was eventually caught by the beast

They chained her and consumed her like a feast

 

In the far distance her mother looked up at the sky

So near yet so distant from her daughter’s cry

The sky was bleak and the clouds were dull

She looked up again waiting for the sun to come up.

 

 

 Thank you so much for reading. Please do write a review, it would mean a lot to me. 

Living in a developing country like India , I hear news of little girls and women being raped, mutilated, murdered everyday. Not just my country, many countries of the world are increasingly becoming unsafe for women. Most of these women stay silent due to the fear of social stigma. I live in a big city but I am scared everyday. United Nations recently declared India to be the most unsafe country for women and I don't see the situation improving in the near future.

On the bright side, we are seeing a surge of NGOs, lawyers, social workers etc who are fighting for this cause. The government also has introduced better laws. The day is bleak but I hope we get to see the sun soon.

 

 

 

Author's Note

Thank you so much for reading. Please do write a review, it would mean a lot to me.
Please feel free to write anything you want to. Link to an article, something you experienced or something you heard. Also, you can ask me anything you want to. About India , the situation of women, safety or what I am doing about it.